UK boy's name
Shimshon
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "sun", "brilliant", or "destroyer".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Shimshon is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Shimshon popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3412, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 5 births.
This profile covers 5 England and Wales registrations across 1 recorded years from 2018 to 2018. 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.
Shimshon is at its recorded peak in the England and Wales series.
We estimate that about 5 living people in the UK are called Shimshon. 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 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Shimshon ranked #3412 for boys in England and Wales in 2018, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 5 boys were registered as Shimshon.
- • About 5 living people in the UK are estimated to have Shimshon as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3412
2018
Births in 2018
5
Latest year
Peak year
2018
5 births
Estimated living
5
2026
Meaning
What does Shimshon mean?
The name Shimshon is derived from the Hebrew language and has its roots in ancient Semitic cultures. It is believed to have originated from the Hebrew word "shemesh," meaning "sun," and the suffix "-on," which is a diminutive or endearing form. This suggests that the name initially carried the meaning of "little sun" or "sunny one."
Shimshon is best known as the Hebrew name for the biblical figure Samson, a legendary figure from the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. Samson was a Nazirite, a person who took a vow of consecration, and was renowned for his immense strength and heroic exploits against the Philistines. The story of Samson is a significant part of the religious and cultural heritage of Judaism and Christianity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shimshon is found in the Hebrew Bible, where it is associated with the biblical figure Samson. This suggests that the name has been in use for at least several thousand years, dating back to ancient Israelite times.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Shimshon. One of the most famous was Shimshon ben Yosef (1801-1876), a renowned Talmudic scholar and rabbi from Lithuania. Another was Shimshon Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888), a German rabbi and scholar who was a leading figure in the development of Neo-Orthodoxy in Judaism.
Other notable Shimshons include Shimshon Holzman (1820-1894), a renowned Hebrew author and poet from Russia, and Shimshon Amitsur (1921-1994), an Israeli mathematician and professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In the realm of literature, the name Shimshon appears in the works of several authors. For example, the Israeli writer Shmuel Yosef Agnon (1888-1970), a Nobel Prize laureate, featured a character named Shimshon in his novel "The Bridal Canopy."
While the name Shimshon has its roots in ancient Hebrew culture, it has transcended its linguistic and cultural boundaries and has been adopted by various communities around the world, particularly within the Jewish diaspora.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Decades
Shimshon by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Shimshon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #3412 | 5 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Shimshon
- 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
Shimshon: questions and answers
How popular is the name Shimshon in the UK right now?
In 2018, Shimshon was ranked #3412 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Shimshon most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 5 babies registered as Shimshon in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Shimshon?
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "sun", "brilliant", or "destroyer".
How many people are called Shimshon in the UK?
A total of 5 babies have been registered as Shimshon across the 1 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.