Name of the Week: Gideon

Origin:

Gideon is a Biblical name which was most famously borne by a judge in the Old Testament. The name is derived from the Hebrew gada "to hew down/off, to cut asunder," which has been interpreted in a number of ways. It was once interpreted as meaning "having a stump (for a hand/foot)" while others take the meaning "he who fells" and extend it to "mighty warrior" or "destroyer." The name is (perhaps not coincidentally) very fitting for the character of Gideon in the Old Testament, who was chosen by God to destroy the Israelite's altar to Baal and led a troop of 300 men to victory against an invading army.

Usage:

Gideon was first used in Britain in the 16th century, when Old Testament names became fashionable. Gédéon was also used among the Huguenots, and several examples of Gideon in English baptism are to French parents.  Data from the Surname Atlas (click to enlarge) Data from the 1881 census shows that it was most common in the south of England and on the Scottish border. It was rare in Wales, however.  It wasn't uncommon in the early 19th century in England and Wales, but, even at its peak in the 1860s, it was just short of the top 200. By the turn of the 20th century it had began to rapidly decline in use, becoming quite rare by the 1950s:  1840s: 136 births 1850s: 146 births 1860s: 163 births 1870s: 127 births 1880s: 108 births 1890s: 76 births 1900s: 64 births 1910s: 41 births 1920s: 25 births 1930s: 4 births 1940s: 14 births 1950s: 35 births 1960s: 255 births 1970s: 245 births The great jump in usage in the 1960s was perhaps thanks to the character Commander George Gideon, created by John Creasey as the protagonist of his 21 police novels, published between 1955 and 1976. The first novel, Gideon's Day (1955), was made into a film in 1958 and was followed by the TV series Gideon's Way which ran from 1964 to 1966.  Since 1996, Gideon has consistently held a rank of between #600-#800 in England and Wales. In 2015, Gideon ranked #765 with 42 births. Since 1974, Gideon has been given to only 40 boys in Scotland in 41 years, peaking in 2005 at #257 (5 births). It did not rank at all in 2015.

Famous Bearers:

History:  * Gideon Mantell (1790-1852), English geologist. Contemporary: * Gideon Emery (b.1972), British actor. Literature and Other Media: * George Gideon, a fictional detective in novels, film and television created by John Creasey. * Doctor Gideon Fell, fictional detective in novels, created by John Dickson Carr.

Variants:

Gedeon (Biblical Latin, Biblical Greek) Gédéon (French)

Pronunciation:

GID-ee-ən [key]

Possible diminutives:

Gid, Gids, Gij, Gido

Sibling Names:

Carmen     Sarai     Dinah     Keziah     Helena     Rosa  Abram     Ephraim     Jasper     Felix     Moses     Silas

Name Lists:

Funky-Clunky   Upright Elegance   Quirky Biblical  Disney Names   Tennyson Names

 

If you like Gideon you may also like:   Ezekiel, Simeon, Tobiah, Zadok, Judah, Phineas, Linus, Hector, Thaddeus, Asa

Thanks to Michelle for requesting Gideon.