Gideon

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Gideon

Gender: Masculine
Language: English
Etymology:
Gideon is a Hebrew name meaning “Hewer,” or “Feller,” “One Who Cuts Trees,” and poetically, “Having a Stump for a Hand.”

History:
Gideon, an Old Testament name, did not belong to a saint, and was not used in the Middle Ages. This changed after the Protestant Reformation, when common people first bcame familiar with the Bible and Biblical charaters.

Gideon, being the name of a popular, heroic Biblical personage (an Israelite leader), was popular among 17th century English Puritans (especially those who migrated to the Americas) and French Huguenots.

Gideon continued to be used by their American descendents, until the late 19th century, when Biblical names (especially the more unusual ones) declined as a trend.

Gideon has recently been revived in the United States.

Pronunciation: gid-ee-on.

Diminutives: Gid.

Alternates:
Hebrew (Modern): Gidan.
Russian: Gedeon.

Famous Bearers:
Artists and Authors:
Gédéon Tallemant des Réaux (1619-1692)
French writer.

Miscellaneous:
Gideon Pillow (1806-1878)
American soldier
Gideon Ernest, Freiherr von Laudon (1717-1790)
Austrian military figure.

Political Figures:
Gideon Welles (1802-1878)
Secretary of the Navy.

Religious Figures:
Gideon (Biblical)
A liberator of Israel.
Gideon Blackburn (1772-1838)
Missionary.

Scientists:
Gideon Algernon Mantell (1790-1852)
British geologist and paleontologist.

Popularity:
Percentage from the 1990 U.S. Census:
less than 0.004 % named Gideon

Popularity of Gideon:
Popularity (for newborns):
In the United States...
1850: 395th most popular.
1875: 524th most popular.
1880: 600th most popular.
1881: 706th most popular.
1882: 837th most popular.
1883: 892nd most popular.
1884: 663rd most popular.
1885: 521st most popular.
1886: 605th most popular.
1887: 679th most popular.
1888: 554th most popular.
1889: N/A
1890: 814th most popular.
1891-1898: N/A
1899: 928th most popular.
1900: 788th most popular.
1901-1908: N/A
1909: 889th most popular.
1910-1979: N/A
1980: 989th most popular.
1981-1994: N/A
1995: 979th most popular.
1996-99: N/A
2000: 901st most popular.
2001: 710th most popular.
2002: 787th most popular.
2003: 688th most popular.
2004: 692nd most popular.

The Penguin Dictionary of First Names, Pickering, 1999
The Wordsworth Dictionary of First Names, Mcleod and Freedman, 1995
A Dictionary of First Names, Hanks and Hodges, 1990

The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, Withycombe, 1977, 3rd ed.

The Social Security Administration Actuarial Note 139 - For popularity stats 1880-Present
The 1880 U.S. Census- For popularity stats 1850-1880