Simone is the French feminine form of Simon, which comes from the Hebrew Shimon and means "he has heard". It has a remarkable roster of bearers: philosopher Simone de Beauvoir, singer Nina Simone and gymnast Simone Biles. In the United States Simone ranked number 579 in 2000 and peaked at number 478 in 2004; it dipped just outside the top 1000 in 2024 and ranks number 998 in 2025.