UK name, mostly girls
Simone
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "she 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.
Simone is mostly registered for girls in the UK records. People looking for Simone popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1672, with 18 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 158 births.
This profile covers 1,343 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 11% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,902 living people in the UK are called Simone. 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
- • Simone ranked #1672 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 18 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1996, when 158 girls were registered as Simone.
- • Simone ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #413 in 2007.
- • About 1,902 living people in the UK are estimated to have Simone as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 96.2% of Simone registrations are for girls.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1672
2024
Births in 2024
18
Latest year
Peak year
1996
158 births
Estimated living
1,902
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Simone
In England and Wales birth records, Simone has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 3.8% of registrations are for boys and 96.2% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Simone registered for boys
- Ranked #4,812 in 2017
- 3 boys registered in 2017
- Peak: 1997 (8 births)
Simone registered for girls
- Ranked #1,672 in 2024
- 18 girls registered in 2024
- Peak: 1996 (158 births)
Meaning
What does Simone mean?
The name Simone is a French given name derived from the ancient Hebrew name Shimon. Shimon itself was derived from the Hebrew verb shama, meaning "to hear" or "to listen". The name Simone is the French feminine form of the masculine name Simon.
In ancient times, the name Simon was borne by one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. Simon Peter, also known as Saint Peter, was one of the most important figures in early Christianity. Another significant figure was Simon the Zealot, also one of the twelve apostles.
The name Simone gained popularity in France during the Middle Ages. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was Simone de Beauvoir, a French philosopher, writer, and feminist born in 1908. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential thinkers of the 20th century.
Another notable historical figure with the name Simone was Simone Weil, a French philosopher, and mystic who lived from 1909 to 1943. She was deeply influenced by her studies of religion and advocated for non-violence and social justice.
In the realm of music, Simone Signoret was a French actress who won an Academy Award for her performance in the film Room at the Top in 1959. She was also a prominent figure in the French Resistance during World War II.
Simone de Camargo was a renowned French ballerina who lived from 1888 to 1965. She is considered one of the greatest dancers of the early 20th century and helped revolutionize ballet technique.
Simone Veil, a French politician and Holocaust survivor, was a prominent figure in the 20th century. Born in 1927, she served as the Minister of Health in France and played a vital role in legalizing abortion in the country in 1975.
The name Simone has a rich history and cultural significance, spanning various fields, including philosophy, literature, arts, and politics. Its origins can be traced back to ancient Hebrew, and it has been borne by many influential figures throughout history.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Simone over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Simone in England and Wales, 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 Simone, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 18 births in 2024, compared with 158 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Simone by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Simone 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 | #2060 | 74 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1801 | 177 | 10 |
| 2000s | #587 | 597 | 10 |
| 1990s | #297 | 495 | 4 |
Geography
Where Simone is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Simone. 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.
Simone ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #413 in 2007.
Across the UK
Simone in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#665 in 2012
38 years of NRS records, 555 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#413 in 2007
5 years of NISRA records, 20 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Simone
-
Simone Ashley
film actor
British actress
1995-
-
Simone Kennedy
sport cyclist
Australian female cyclist Paralympian
1994-
-
Simone Magill
association football player
Northern Irish footballer
1994-
-
Simone Natale
university teacher
communication studies scholar
1981-
-
Simone Butler
musician
English bass guitarist
1978-
-
Simone Perrotta
association football player
Italian association football player (born 1977)
1977-
-
Simone Bienne
TV personality
1974-
-
Simone Lia
writer; comics artist; draftsperson
English cartoonist
1973-
Related
Names similar to Simone
- Sophie 103,803
- Sophia 46,936
- Scarlett 34,261
- Sienna 32,418
- Sofia 29,136
- Sarah 27,961
- Shannon 25,510
- Summer 24,167
- Sara 14,205
- Skye 13,654
- Samantha 12,697
- Stephanie 9,309
FAQ
Simone: questions and answers
How popular is the name Simone in the UK right now?
In 2024, Simone was ranked #1672 for girls in England and Wales, with 18 births registered.
When was Simone most popular?
The peak year on record was 1996, with 158 babies registered as Simone in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Simone?
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "she who listens".
How many people are called Simone in the UK?
A total of 1,343 babies have been registered as Simone across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 555 more in Scotland and 20 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Simone most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Simone ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #413 in 2007. 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.