Gideon

Did you know?

A few things about Gideon you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Gideon

Gideon Mantell

British scientist and obstetrician (1790–1852)

Choose Gideon and your child shares a first name with Gideon Mantell, a British scientist and obstetrician. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Gideon, like who?” Gideon Mantell's Wikipedia article is available in 37 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Gideon Mantell on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 1,720 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Gideon, 993 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Gideon would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryGideon has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Gideons, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2017, when it reached #304.
• 📈Then vs nowGideon is 6.3× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 10,917 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 1,720.
• 📍Where it's lovedGideon is most popular in Alaska, where it ranks #110, followed by North Dakota (#170) and Indiana (#181). It's in the top 1,000 in 39 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Hebrew, Gideon means “hewer, feller”.

About the name Gideon

Gideon is a boy name meaning “hewer, feller”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with G and ending in “-eon”. US birth records list Gideon for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 133 of those 146 years. Its best year was 2017, when it ranked #304 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #337, with 993 babies.