UK boy's name
Gideon
A masculine Hebrew name meaning "great warrior" or "hewer" or "destroyer".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Gideon is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Gideon popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #826, with 39 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 55 births.
This profile covers 1,059 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 71% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,077 living people in the UK are called Gideon. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Gideon ranked #826 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 39 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 55 boys were registered as Gideon.
- • Gideon ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #404 in 2024.
- • About 1,077 living people in the UK are estimated to have Gideon as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#826
2024
Births in 2024
39
Latest year
Peak year
2017
55 births
Estimated living
1,077
2026
Meaning
What does Gideon mean?
The name Gideon has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "gada," which means "to cut down" or "to fell," and is believed to have been an occupational name for a warrior or someone skilled in battle.
In the Old Testament of the Bible, Gideon was a prominent judge and military leader in ancient Israel, known for his victory over the Midianites with just a small army of 300 men. His story is recounted in the Book of Judges, where he is portrayed as a humble and reluctant hero chosen by God to deliver the Israelites from oppression.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gideon can be found in the Bible, where it appears as the name of the famous judge and military leader. However, the name was likely in use among the Hebrew people even before the biblical account.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gideon. One of the most famous was Gideon Mantell (1790-1852), an English obstetrician, geologist, and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossils and prehistoric life.
Another prominent figure with the name Gideon was Gideon Welles (1802-1878), an American politician who served as Secretary of the Navy during the American Civil War under President Abraham Lincoln.
In the realm of literature, Gideon Defoe (born 1976) is a notable British author and screenwriter known for his satirical novels, including the "Pirate!" series.
Gideon Sundback (1880-1954) was a Swedish-American electrical engineer and inventor best known for his work on the zipper, which he patented and helped popularize as a practical clothing fastener.
Gideon Hausner (1915-1990) was an Israeli lawyer and prosecutor who served as the chief prosecutor during the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi leader responsible for organizing the deportation of millions of Jews to concentration camps during the Holocaust.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Gideon, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human achievement.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Gideon over time
The chart below shows babies named Gideon registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Gideon, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 39 births in 2024, compared with 55 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gideon by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Gideon was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #849 | 185 | 5 |
| 2010s | #735 | 443 | 10 |
| 2000s | #740 | 322 | 10 |
| 1990s | #630 | 109 | 4 |
Geography
Where Gideon is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Gideon. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Gideon ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #404 in 2024.
Across the UK
Gideon in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#536 in 2020
6 years of NRS records, 23 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#404 in 2024
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Gideon
-
Gideon Conn
singer-songwriter
English musician
1980-
-
Gideon Sherwood
(born 1976)
1976-
-
Gideon Defoe
screenwriter; writer; archaeologist
British writer
1975-
-
Gideon Turner
actor; film actor
actor
1973-
-
Gideon Lester
curator; dramaturge; artistic director; university teacher
British academic
1972-
-
Gideon Emery
stage actor; voice actor; television actor; film actor; jazz musician
British actor
1972-
-
Gideon Coe
disc jockey
British DJ
1967-
-
Gideon Haigh
journalist
Australian sports journalist
1965-
Related
Names similar to Gideon
- George 121,258
- Gabriel 20,581
- Grayson 7,636
- Gregory 2,925
- Guy 2,646
- Gareth 2,092
- Gethin 1,880
- Georgie 1,872
- Gary 1,575
- Gavin 1,422
- Giovanni 1,252
- Grant 1,199
FAQ
Gideon: questions and answers
How popular is the name Gideon in the UK right now?
In 2024, Gideon was ranked #826 for boys in England and Wales, with 39 births registered.
When was Gideon most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 55 babies registered as Gideon in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Gideon?
A masculine Hebrew name meaning "great warrior" or "hewer" or "destroyer".
How many people are called Gideon in the UK?
A total of 1,059 babies have been registered as Gideon across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 23 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Gideon most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Gideon ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #404 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.