Boy · Hebrew · Old & New Testament

Simeon

SIM-ee-un · from Shimon · means “One who hears”

Simeon is a Hebrew name meaning "one who hears," spoken by Leah because the Lord heard that she was unloved (Genesis 29:33). Simeon was Jacob's second son and the ancestor of one of Israel's twelve tribes. The name is also carried by the devout old man in Luke's Gospel who held the infant Jesus in the temple.

“Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace."”

The story behind the name

Simeon was Jacob's second son, and Leah named him Simeon, saying the Lord had heard that she was unloved (Genesis 29:33). Along with his brother Levi, Simeon acted with violent anger in Shechem, a deed their father later rebuked sharply on his deathbed (Genesis 34, 49:5-7).

Because of that violence, the tribe of Simeon received no large, unified territory of its own but was scattered among Judah's land. Still, Simeon's descendants remained part of Israel's story, and the name carried on through generations.

The same name reappears movingly in Luke's Gospel, where a righteous and devout man named Simeon, waiting for Israel's consolation, held the infant Jesus in his arms and praised God that his eyes had seen the salvation of the world (Luke 2:25-32). A boy named Simeon carries a name of being heard by God and of waiting faithfully for His promises.

Middle names that sing with Simeon

Chosen for rhythm and meanings that speak to each other.

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