Gideon
/G-IH-D-IY-AH-N/
Feller of trees, the mighty warrior, the judge who defeated a vast army with three hundred men and a handful of torches — Gideon is God's unlikely champion in the Book of Judges, a fearful farmer whom an angel addressed as mighty warrior before he had done anything mighty. His name carries the promise that courage is not the absence of fear but the decision to act despite it, and that God's strength is perfected in human weakness
See Gideon scored for your familyMeaning & origin
Gideon is a boy's name of Hebrew origin, traditionally used in Jewish families. The name means "Feller of trees, the mighty warrior, the judge who defeated a vast army with three hundred men and a handful of torches — Gideon is God's unlikely champion in the Book of Judges, a fearful farmer whom an angel addressed as mighty warrior before he had done anything mighty. His name carries the promise that courage is not the absence of fear but the decision to act despite it, and that God's strength is perfected in human weakness" and belongs to the Courage cluster — names for children who will grow into bold, fearless hearts.
Beyond its Jewish heritage, Gideon is also used in Christian traditions, reflecting how this name has traveled across cultures.
Common among American, European, MiddleEastern, Israeli families, Gideon carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
Numerology of Gideon
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how Gideon resonates in either tradition.
How Gideon sounds
NameRoot scores the phonetic fit of every name against the sound of your last name. The pronunciation of Gideon breaks down into 6 phonemes: /G-IH-D-IY-AH-N/. In the app, you'll see how those sounds flow with your family name across rhythm, stress, and consonant clusters.
Nicknames
Common affectionate forms of Gideon — useful for everyday family conversation, early childhood, or as standalone given names themselves.
The six signals, applied to Gideon
NameRoot scores every name across six independent dimensions. Here's how Gideon maps to each — install the app to see the full compatibility score for your specific family.
Names similar to Gideon
If Gideon resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Jewish boy names, common in American families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Jewish boy names from the Courage cluster
Names that sound similar
Jewish boy names that open with the same syllables as Gideon
Common questions about Gideon
What does the name Gideon mean?
Gideon means "Feller of trees, the mighty warrior, the judge who defeated a vast army with three hundred men and a handful of torches — Gideon is God's unlikely champion in the Book of Judges, a fearful farmer whom an angel addressed as mighty warrior before he had done anything mighty. His name carries the promise that courage is not the absence of fear but the decision to act despite it, and that God's strength is perfected in human weakness." It is a boy name of Hebrew origin, traditionally used in Jewish families.
Is Gideon a boy or girl name?
Gideon is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name Gideon?
Gideon is of Hebrew origin, used in Jewish, Christian traditions, commonly among American, European, MiddleEastern families.
What are common nicknames for Gideon?
Common short forms of Gideon include Gide, Gidi.
What is the numerology of Gideon?
Gideon has a Pythagorean destiny number of 9 — compassion and humanitarian service.
See how Gideon scores for your family
NameRoot is the only baby-name app that scores every name across 6 signals against your specific family context. Download free — Gideon is waiting.
Get NameRoot — free