What Does the Name Gideon Mean?

Gideon is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning “hewer; one who cuts down / feller.”

Updated June 2026

Name	Gideon
Gender	male
Origin	Hebrew
Meaning	hewer; one who cuts down / feller
Variants	Gidon, Gedeon, Gidi, Gid
Popularity	Steadily rising US boys' name, in the Top 300-400 in recent years; favored for its biblical pedigree.

The meaning and origin of Gideon

The name Gideon means “hewer; one who cuts down / feller” and has Hebrew origins. From the Hebrew Gid'on, derived from the verb gada ('to hew down, cut off'), interpreted as 'mighty warrior.' Borne by the biblical judge who led Israel against the Midianites; adopted as a given name by Puritans and Huguenots in the 16th century.

Variants and related names

Gideon is related to several other names you may recognize: Gidon, Gedeon, Gidi, Gid. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Gideon?

Steadily rising US boys' name, in the Top 300-400 in recent years; favored for its biblical pedigree.

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