Simeon () is a given name, from the Hebrew ( Biblical ''Šimʿon'', Tiberian ''Šimʿôn''), usually transliterated as Shimon. In Greek it is written Συμεών, hence the Latinized spelling Symeon.

Meaning

The name is derived from

Simeon Simeon () is a given name, from the Hebrew (Biblical ''Šimʿon'', Tiberian ''Šimʿôn''), usually transliterated as Shimon. In Greek it is written Συμεών, hence the Latinized spelling Symeon. Meaning The name is derived from Simeon, so ...

, son of

Jacob Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. J ...

and

Leah Leah ''La'ya;'' from (; ) appears in the Hebrew Bible as one of the two wives of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. Leah was Jacob's first wife, and the older sister of his second (and favored) wife Rachel. She is the mother of Jacob's first son ...

, patriarch of the

Tribe of Simeon According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Simeon (; he, ''Šīm‘ōn'', "hearkening/listening/understanding/empathizing") was one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The Book of Judges locates its territory inside the boundaries of the Tribe of ...

. The text of

Genesis Genesis may refer to: Bible * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book of ...

(29:33) argues that the name of ''Simeon'' refers to Leah's belief that

God In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

had heard that she was hated by Jacob, in the sense of not being as favoured as

Rachel Rachel () was a Biblical figure, the favorite of Jacob's two wives, and the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, two of the twelve progenitors of the tribes of Israel. Rachel's father was Laban. Her older sister was Leah, Jacob's first wife. Her aun ...

. Implying a derivation from the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

term ''shama on'', meaning "he has heard"; this is a similar etymology as the Torah gives for the theophoric name '' Ishmael'' ("God has heard"; Genesis 16:11), on the basis of which it has been argued that the tribe of Simeon may originally have been an Ishmaelite group (Cheyne and Black, ''

Encyclopaedia Biblica ''Encyclopaedia Biblica: A Critical Dictionary of the Literary, Political and Religion History, the Archeology, Geography and Natural History of the Bible'' (1899), edited by Thomas Kelly Cheyne and J. Sutherland Black, is a critical encyclopedi ...

''). Alternatively, Hitzig, W. R. Smith, Stade, and Kerber compared שִׁמְעוֹן ''Šīmə‘ōn'' to Arabic سِمع ''simˤ'' "the offspring of the hyena and the female wolf"; as supports, Smith points to Arabic tribal names ''Simˤ'' "a subdivision of the defenders (the Medinites)" and ''Samˤān'' "a subdivision of Tamim".''Encyclopædia Biblica: Q to Z'', edited by Thomas Kelly Chase
p. 4531
/ref> In classical rabbinical sources, the name is sometimes interpreted as meaning "he who listens

o the words of God O, or o, is the fifteenth letter and the fourth vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''o'' (pronounced ), plu ...

(

Genesis Rabba Genesis Rabbah (Hebrew: , ''B'reshith Rabba'') is a religious text from Judaism's classical period, probably written between 300 and 500 CE with some later additions. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletical inter ...

h 61:4), and at other times thought to derive from ''sham 'in'', meaning "there is sin", which is argued to be a prophetic reference to Zimri's sexual miscegenation with a

Midian Midian (; he, מִדְיָן ''Mīḏyān'' ; ar, مَدْيَن, Madyan; grc-gre, Μαδιάμ, ''Madiam'') is a geographical place mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and Quran. William G. Dever states that biblical Midian was in the "northwest Ar ...

ite woman, a type of relationship which rabbinical sources regard as sinful (''Jewish Encyclopedia'').

In the Bible

Simeon (son of Jacob) Simeon () was the second of the six sons of Jacob and Leah (Jacob’s second son), and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Simeon, according to the Book of Genesis. However, some Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metap ...

, in the Hebrew Bible *

, one of the twelve tribes of Israel *

Simeon the Just Simeon the Righteous or Simeon the Just ( he, שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַדִּיק ''Šīməʿōn haṢadīq'') was a Jewish High Priest during the Second Temple period. He is also referred to in the Mishnah, where he is described as one of the la ...

(3rd century BC?) a Jewish High Priest, also called "Simeon the Righteous" (not the same as the New Testament figure, below) *

Simeon (Gospel of Luke) Simeon ( el, Συμεών) at the Temple is the "just and devout" man of Jerusalem who, according to , met Mary, Joseph, and Jesus as they entered the Temple to fulfill the requirements of the Law of Moses on the 40th day from Jesus' birth, i ...

, figure in the New Testament who blessed Jesus and his parents in the Jerusalem temple *

Simeon Niger Simon Niger is a person in the Book of Acts The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Ch ...

, person in the Book of Acts

Persons with the given name

Up to 1700 AD

:''Ordered chronologically.'' *

Simeon of Jerusalem Simeon of Jerusalem was a Jewish Christian leader and according to most Christian traditions the second Bishop of Jerusalem (63 or 70–107 or 117), succeeding James, brother of Jesus. Simeon is sometimes identified with Simon, brother of Jesu ...

(15–14 BC–c. 107 or 117), 2nd Bishop of Jerusalem, perhaps one of the Seventy Apostles sent out by Jesus *

Simeon ben Gamliel Simeon ben Gamliel (I) ( or רשב"ג הראשון; c. 10 BCE – 70 CE) was a '' Tanna'' sage and leader of the Jewish people. He served as nasi of the Great Sanhedrin at Jerusalem during the outbreak of the First Jewish–Roman War, succeedi ...

, Nasi of the Sanhedrin in 50 AD *

Simeon ben Gamliel II Simeon (or Shimon) ben Gamaliel II (Hebrew: ) was a Tanna of the third generation and president of the Great Sanhedrin. He was the son of Gamaliel II. Biography Simeon was a youth in Betar when the Bar Kokhba revolt broke out, but when that fort ...

, Nasi of the Sanhedrin in c. 118 AD *

Simeon Bar Kokhba Simon ben Koseba or Cosiba ( he, שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר כֹסֵבָא, translit= Šīmʾōn bar Ḵōsēḇaʾ‎ ; died 135 CE), commonly known as Bar Kokhba ( he, שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר כּוֹכְבָא‎, translit=Šīmʾōn bar ...

, leader of the Bar Kokhba revolt * Simeon bar Yochai, rabbi of the Tannaim period, possibly the author of the ''Zohar'' *

Simeon Stylites Simeon Stylites or Symeon the Stylite syc, ܫܡܥܘܢ ܕܐܣܛܘܢܐ ', Koine Greek ', ar, سمعان العمودي ' (c. 390 – 2 September 459) was a Syrian Christian ascetic, who achieved notability by living 37 years on a smal ...

(c. 388–459 AD), Christian pillar-hermit from Sisan, Syria *

Simeon Stylites III Simeon Stylites III was a pillar hermit bearing the same name as Simeon Stylites and Simeon Stylites the Younger. He is honoured by both the Greek Orthodox Church and the Coptic Church. He is hence believed to have lived in the fifth century b ...

, 5th-century pillar-hermit *

Simeon Stylites the Younger Saint Simeon Stylites the Younger, also known as Simeon of the Admirable Mountain ( el, Συμεὼν ὁ νεώτερος ὁ στυλίτης, Arabic: مار سمعان العمودي الأصغر ''mār semʻān l-ʻamūdī l-asghar'') (521 ...

(521–597 AD), hermit and pillar-hermit from Antioch *Simeon, the name of one priest and one deacon martyred with

Abda and Abdjesus Abdisho and Abda were two successive bishops of Kashkar who were martyred along with 38 companions in 376 during the Forty-Year Persecution in the Sasanian Empire. Accused by his nephew of being a spy for the Roman Empire, Abdisho was arrested ...

* Simeon the Holy Fool, 6th-century Christian saint and hermit * Simeon I of Bulgaria (866–927), Bulgarian tsar *

Symeon Metaphrastes Symeon, called Metaphrastes or the Metaphrast (; ; died c. 1000), was a Byzantine writer and official. He is regarded as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church and his feast day falls on 9 or 28 November. He is best known for his 10-volume Greek ...

(10th century?), Byzantine hagiographer *

Symeon the New Theologian Symeon the New Theologian ( el, Συμεὼν ὁ Νέος Θεολόγος; 949–1022) was an Eastern Orthodox Christian monk and poet who was the last of three saints canonized by the Eastern Orthodox Church and given the title of "Theolo ...

(949–1022), Eastern Orthodox saint * Simeon (abbot) (994–1094), Abbot of Ely Cathedral *

Simeon Seth Symeon Seth, "Symeōn Magister of Antioch onof Sēth". His first name may also be spelled Simeon or Simeo. (c. 1035 – c. 1110)Antonie Pietrobelli (2016)Qui est Syméon Seth ?Le Projet Syméon Seth. was a Byzantine scientist, translator and offi ...

(fl. 1070), Jewish Byzantine physician, writer, and grand chamberlain from Antioch * Simeon of Mantua (died 1016), Armenian monk *

Symeon of Durham __NOTOC__ Symeon (or Simeon) of Durham (died after 1129) was an English chronicler and a monk of Durham Priory. Biography Symeon entered the Benedictine monastery at Jarrow as a youth. It moved to Durham in 1074, and he was professed in 1085 or ...

(died after 1129), English chronicler and monk of Durham Priory *

Stefan Nemanja Stefan Nemanja (Serbian Cyrillic: , ; – 13 February 1199) was the Grand Prince ( Veliki Župan) of the Serbian Grand Principality (also known as Raška, lat. ) from 1166 to 1196. A member of the Vukanović dynasty, Nemanja founded the Nema ...

(1113–1199), canonized as Saint Simeon, Serbian ruler and saint of the Serbian Orthodox Church * Simeon of Moscow, 14th-century Grand Prince of Moscow *

Simeon Uroš Simeon Uroš ( sr-cyr, Симеон Урош, gr, Συμεών Ούρεσης; 1326–1370), nicknamed Siniša (Синиша), was a self-proclaimed Emperor of Serbs and Greeks, from 1356 to 1370. He was son of Serbian King Stephen Uroš III a ...

, 14th-century ruler of Epirus and Thessaly *

Simon of Trent Simon of Trent (german: Simon von Trient, also known as Simon Unverdorben (meaning Simon Immaculate in German); it, Simonino di Trento), also known as Simeon (1472–1475), was a boy from the city of Trent (now Trento in northern Italy), in th ...

, 15th-century boy supposedly killed by Jews, and formerly a martyr of the Catholic Church * Patriarch Symeon I of Constantinople, or Symeon of Trebizond, reigned three times: 1466, 1471–1475 and 1482–1486 *

Simeon Bekbulatovich Simeon Bekbulatovich (russian: Симеон Бекбулатович; born Sain-Bulat, russian: Саин-Булат; died 5 January 1616) was a Russian statesman of Tatar origin, descendant of Genghis Khan, who briefly served as a figurehead rul ...

, ''de jure'' Tsar of Russia (1575–1576) * Symeon of Polotsk (1629–1680), Russian poet, dramatist, churchman, and enlightener

Since 1700 AD

:''Ordered alphabetically by last name.'' *

Semyon Belits-Geiman Semyon Viktorovich Belits-Geiman (russian: Семён Викторович Белиц-Гейман; born 16 February 1945) is a former Soviet freestyle swimmer. He set a world record in the 800 m freestyle, and won two Olympic medals. Early li ...

(born 1945), former Soviet Olympic freestyle swimmer *

Semyon Budyonny Semyon Mikhailovich Budyonnyy ( rus, Семён Миха́йлович Будённый, Semyon Mikháylovich Budyonnyy, p=sʲɪˈmʲɵn mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ bʊˈdʲɵnːɨj, a=ru-Simeon Budyonniy.ogg; – 26 October 1973) was a Russian ca ...

(1883–1973), Soviet military commander *Simeon Coxe (usually known only as Simeon), American musician, singer and synth player of

Silver Apples Silver Apples were an American electronic rock group from New York, active between 1967 and 1970, before reforming in the mid-1990s. It was composed of Simeon (born Simeon Oliver Coxe III, June 4, 1938 – September 8, 2020), who performed ...

Simeon Jocelyn Simeon Jocelyn (1799-1879) was a white pastor, abolitionist, and social activist for African-American civil rights and educational opportunities in New Haven, Connecticut, during the 19th century. He is known for his attempt to establish America's f ...

(1799-1879), minister and abolitionist * Simeon Mangiuca (1831–1890), Austro-Hungarian Romanian folklorist * Simeon V. Marcelo (born 1953), Filipino lawyer and former Ombudsman and Solicitor-General of the Philippines *

Simeon North Simeon North (July 13, 1765 – August 25, 1852) was a Middletown, Connecticut, gun manufacturer, who developed one of America's first milling machines (possibly the very first) in 1818 and played an important role in the development of interchan ...

(1765–1852), American gunmaker *

Siméon Denis Poisson Baron Siméon Denis Poisson FRS FRSE (; 21 June 1781 – 25 April 1840) was a French mathematician and physicist who worked on statistics, complex analysis, partial differential equations, the calculus of variations, analytical mechanics, electri ...

(1781–1840), French mathematician *

Simeon Rice Simeon James Rice (; born February 24, 1974) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals third overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. In his 12-year NFL career, Rice recorded 122 sacks, forced 25 fumbles, recov ...

(born 1974), American football player * Simeon Woods Richardson (born 2000), American professional baseball player * Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha (born 1937), Tsar of Bulgaria (1943–1946), prime minister of Bulgaria (2001–2005) *

Semyon Sereda Semyon Pafnutyevich Sereda (russian: Семён Пафнутьевич Середа; 1 February 1871 – 21 May 1933) was a Russian Bolshevik revolutionary and Soviet politician. He was the son of a railway employee. From 1896 to 1917 he worked as ...

(1871–1933), Soviet politician * Simeon Thomas (born 1993), American football player * Simeon Tienpont (born 1982), Dutch sailor *

Semyon Varlamov Semyon Aleksandrovich Varlamov (russian: Семён Александрович Варламов, ; born 27 April 1988) is a Russian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NH ...

(born 1988), Russian ice hockey player * Simeon S. Willis (1879–1965), American lawyer, judge, and politician from Kentucky

References