UK boy's name
Shimon
Hebrew name meaning "he has heard" or "he who listens".
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.
Shimon is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Shimon popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1000, with 30 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2024, with 30 births.
This profile covers 395 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, 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.
Shimon is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 392 living people in the UK are called Shimon. 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
- • Shimon ranked #1000 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 30 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2024, when 30 boys were registered as Shimon.
- • About 392 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shimon as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1000
2024
Births in 2024
30
Latest year
Peak year
2024
30 births
Estimated living
392
2026
Meaning
What does Shimon mean?
The given name Shimon has its origins in the Hebrew language. It is derived from the Hebrew word "Shama", which means "to hear" or "to listen". The name can be traced back to ancient times and is found in various religious texts and historical records.
In the Bible, Shimon is the name given to one of the twelve sons of Jacob, also known as Simon the Zealot, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. The name gained popularity among the Jewish community and was widely used throughout the Middle East.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Shimon can be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, which date back to the 3rd century BCE. The name is also mentioned in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism, which was composed between the 3rd and 6th centuries CE.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Shimon. One of the most renowned was Shimon bar Yochai, a 2nd-century Jewish rabbi and scholar who is revered as one of the most important figures in Jewish mysticism. Another prominent figure was Shimon ben Gamliel, a 1st-century Jewish scholar and leader who served as the Nasi (President) of the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish court in ancient times.
In the Middle Ages, Shimon was the name of several notable rabbis and scholars, such as Shimon ben Tzemach Duran (1361-1444), a renowned Jewish philosopher and rabbinical authority in North Africa and Spain, and Shimon ben Zemah Duran (1598-1667), a prominent Talmudist and kabbalist in Italy.
During the modern era, Shimon has been the name of several influential figures, including Shimon Peres (1923-2016), a former Prime Minister and President of Israel, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994 for his efforts to promote peace in the Middle East.
Overall, the name Shimon has a rich historical and cultural significance, deeply rooted in the Hebrew language and Jewish tradition. Its enduring popularity can be attributed to its meaningful connotations and the notable figures who have borne this name throughout the centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Shimon over time
The chart below shows babies named Shimon 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 Shimon, the clearest high point is 2024. The latest England and Wales figure is 30 births in 2024, compared with 30 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shimon by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shimon 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 | #1319 | 103 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1554 | 165 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1618 | 106 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2072 | 21 | 4 |
Notable bearers
Famous people named Shimon
-
Shimon Gibson
child actor; archaeologist; anthropologist
British archaeologist
1958-
Related
Names similar to Shimon
- Samuel 108,505
- Sebastian 33,008
- Sam 20,889
- Stanley 16,354
- Sonny 15,028
- Sean 15,006
- Scott 12,587
- Seth 9,841
- Syed 9,050
- Stephen 8,884
- Spencer 8,333
- Steven 6,970
FAQ
Shimon: questions and answers
How popular is the name Shimon in the UK right now?
In 2024, Shimon was ranked #1000 for boys in England and Wales, with 30 births registered.
When was Shimon most popular?
The peak year on record was 2024, with 30 babies registered as Shimon in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Shimon?
Hebrew name meaning "he has heard" or "he who listens".
How many people are called Shimon in the UK?
A total of 395 babies have been registered as Shimon across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
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.