Simon is the Greek form of the Hebrew Shimon and means "he has heard" or "listening"; Simon Peter, the leading apostle, and Simon of Cyrene both bear it in the New Testament. In America it has a gentle, slightly bookish ring, from Simon and Garfunkel to the game Simon Says. Simon has been in the US top 1000 since 2000, when it ranked number 263; it has moved within a narrow band ever since and reaches number 230 in 2025, one place short of its best rank of 229 in 2013.