Gideon

Gender: Boy

Meaning: Feller of trees or mighty warrior

Origin: Hebrew

Popularity: Ranked #337 in 2025 with 993 babies born.

History: Gideon comes from the Hebrew 'Gidon,' meaning one who cuts down or hewer, possibly referring to a woodsman or warrior. In the Bible, Gideon was a military leader and judge of Israel who led a small army to a miraculous victory over the Midianites through faith and strategy, making him a symbol of courage against overwhelming odds. The name was particularly popular among Puritans and early American settlers who drew inspiration from biblical figures embodying divine strength and moral leadership. Early American records show Gideons among Revolutionary War soldiers and frontier families, reflecting a culture that valued Old Testament names tied to fortitude and faith. Gideon first appeared in United States Social Security birth records in 1880, where it remained an uncommon but persistent choice for over a century. Throughout the early 1900s, it lingered quietly on the edges of American naming, carried primarily by Jewish families, Mennonite communities, and Protestant households drawn to scriptural names. The name began its real climb in the late 1990s and accelerated through the 2000s and 2010s, riding a broader American wave that embraced vintage, biblical, and confidently masculine choices like Ezra, Silas, and Asher. By 2017, Gideon reached its peak year with 1,161 babies born in the United States, ranking at number 304 nationally, its best showing ever. In total, more than 22,281 babies have been named Gideon in American records, with 22,249 of them boys and just 32 girls, making it an overwhelmingly masculine choice. As of 2025, Gideon remains solidly popular, ranking at number 337 with 993 babies born that year, a slight cooling from its 2017 high but still firmly in the top 350. The name appeals to modern parents seeking something that feels both classic and strong, avoiding overly trendy choices while maintaining contemporary relevance. Its biblical authority combined with its cool, slightly edgy two-syllable sound has made it a favorite among religious families, literary-minded parents, and trend-aware Americans alike.

Nicknames: Gid, Giddy, Deon, G, Gido

Personality vibes: Brave, Stoic, Thoughtful, Grounded, Bold

Sibling name pairings: Ezra, Silas, Asher, Levi, Eliza, Naomi, Hazel, Josephine

Middle name ideas: Gideon James, Gideon Alexander, Gideon Wolf, Gideon Thomas, Gideon Reid, Gideon Michael, Gideon Cole, Gideon Hayes

Famous people named Gideon:

• Gideon Welles — U.S. Secretary of the Navy under Presidents Lincoln and Johnson during the Civil War.
• Gideon Glick — American actor known for Spring Awakening on Broadway and Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
• Gideon Yago — Former MTV News correspondent and journalist known for war and politics coverage.
• Gideon Adlon — American actress in Blockers, The Mustang, and Pam and Tommy.
• Gideon Raff — Israeli creator of the series that became Showtime's Homeland.

Gideon in America Today

In 2026, Gideon reads as a confidently American name with vintage roots and modern polish. It sits comfortably in the cohort of biblical revivals like Ezra, Caleb, and Silas, but feels slightly less ubiquitous, giving it an air of distinction without feeling rare. Parents who choose it tend to skew thoughtful and intentional, often drawn to literary, religious, or historical resonance, and frequently mention liking that it is recognizable but not overused. Geographically, Gideon enjoys particularly strong showings in the South, Mountain West, and parts of New England, with steady representation in homeschooling communities, evangelical Christian families, and Jewish households. Yet its appeal has clearly broadened. Urban, secular parents increasingly pick Gideon for its crisp sound and storybook gravitas, paired with friendly nickname options like Gid. The current generation of Gideons, mostly toddlers and elementary-age children born during its peak years, are growing up alongside Beaus, Asas, and Theos, classmates whose names share a similar old-soul charm. With 993 babies named Gideon in 2025 and a rank of 337, it lands in a sweet spot where a child will rarely share his name in class but will never have to spell or explain it from scratch.

Naming Trends

Gideon's trajectory in America is a quietly remarkable story. After first appearing in Social Security records in 1880, the name stayed in the margins for more than a century, holding on through generations of Bibles and family trees without ever breaking into the mainstream. The shift came in the early 2000s, when American parents began aggressively rediscovering Old Testament names. Gideon climbed from obscurity into the top 1000, then steadily into the 400s, and finally peaked in 2017 with 1,161 babies and a rank of 304, its all-time high. That peak coincided with a broader cultural moment for masculine, two- or three-syllable biblical names with strong consonants, a wave that also lifted Ezra, Asher, and Levi. Since 2017, Gideon has settled rather than crashed. By 2025, it ranked 337 with 993 babies born, a gentle plateau rather than a fall. Across all of American history, 22,281 babies have been recorded with the name, 22,249 boys and just 32 girls, making it one of the more strongly gendered names in the modern top 500. The overall pattern suggests Gideon has matured from a trend into a staple, with enough momentum to remain a familiar but never tired choice well into the next decade.

Cultural Notes

Gideon's cultural footprint in America is broader than its modest birth numbers suggest. The biblical figure remains the most important reference point, with the story of Gideon's three hundred men still taught widely in Sunday schools and referenced in sermons about faith under pressure. Just as familiar to many Americans is Gideons International, the organization founded in 1899 that places Bibles in hotel rooms and hospitals across the country, making the name itself a small piece of everyday Americana. In pop culture, Gideon has shown up in surprisingly varied places. Gideon Gleeful was the boy villain in Disney's Gravity Falls, while Gideon Graves served as a memorable antagonist in Scott Pilgrim. The name was attached to a key character on Criminal Minds, and Pure Heroine era Lorde gave a high-profile vocal credit to Gideon in interviews. The video game series Persona, the Locked Tomb novels by Tamsyn Muir, and various westerns and prestige dramas have all featured Gideons, generally cast as clever, intense, or morally complex. The cumulative effect is a name that feels storied without feeling stuffy, equally at home on a pastor, a poet, a punk drummer, or a child in a backyard treehouse, which is much of why modern American parents continue to embrace it.

Name length: 6 letters

How common is Gideon? About 1 in 3,352 babies born in 2025 were named Gideon, or roughly 2.7 per day in the United States.

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