Name profile

BoyPronounced Hebrew /ɡid.ˈʔon/; English /ˈɡɪd.i.ən/; Dutch /ˈɣi.deː.ˌɔn/Dutch language family

Gideon

A name of Hebrew origin meaning "feller, hewer".

Quick answer

Gideon is a boy name with Hebrew roots meaning "feller, hewer".

Pronunciation: Hebrew /ɡid.ˈʔon/; English /ˈɡɪd.i.ən/; Dutch /ˈɣi.deː.ˌɔn/.

GenderBoy
OriginHebrew
Meaningfeller, hewer
PronunciationHebrew /ɡid.ˈʔon/; English /ˈɡɪd.i.ən/; Dutch /ˈɣi.deː.ˌɔn/
Language familyDutch

Meaning and history

This name comes from the Hebrew name גִּדְעוֹן (Giḏʿon) meaning "feller, hewer", derived from גָּדַע (gaḏaʿ) meaning "to cut, to hew". Gideon is a hero and judge of the Old Testament. He led the vastly outnumbered Israelites against the Midianites, defeated them, and killed their two kings. In the English-speaking world, Gideon has been used as a given name since the Protestant Reformation, and it was popular among the Puritans.

Notes and context

Usage: biblical, hebrew, english, dutch | Hebrew: גִּדְעוֹן