Gedeon
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "destroyer of the enemy".
Name Census estimates that about 157 living Americans carry the first name Gedeon. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gedeon today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gedeon births was 2017 (11 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gedeon. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
157
~ 1 in 2,183,149 Americans
Peak year
2017
11 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,254
Tracked since 1988
Popularity
Gedeon: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gedeon from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 71 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Gedeon remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gedeon by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gedeon during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gedeon
The name Gedeon originates from the Hebrew language and culture, dating back to ancient biblical times. It is derived from the Hebrew name Gideon, which means "destroyer" or "feller of trees." The name is believed to have its roots in the biblical figure Gideon, a judge and military leader mentioned in the Book of Judges.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Gideon can be found in the Old Testament, where Gideon is portrayed as a leader who defeated the Midianites with a small army of just 300 men. The story of Gideon is often regarded as a testament to faith and courage.
The name Gedeon, a variant spelling of Gideon, gained popularity in various European countries, particularly in France and Hungary. In France, the name Gedeon was widely used during the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Gedeon was Gedeon Huet (1625-1703), a French Catholic prelate and scholar. He served as the Bishop of Avranches and was renowned for his extensive knowledge of classical literature and philosophy.
Another notable figure was Gedeon Leblond (1830-1911), a French poet and novelist. He was a member of the Parnassian literary movement and is best known for his poetry collections, including "Poésies" and "Poèmes de Bretagne."
In Hungary, the name Gedeon has a long history and is often associated with notable figures from the country's past. One example is Gedeon Ráday (1713-1792), a Hungarian nobleman and poet who played a significant role in the development of Hungarian literature during the 18th century.
Gedeon Richter (1872-1944) was a Hungarian chemist and entrepreneur who founded the pharmaceutical company Gedeon Richter Ltd., which remains one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in Central and Eastern Europe.
Another prominent Hungarian figure with the name Gedeon was Gedeon Pál (1899-1973), a writer and journalist who became known for his novels and short stories depicting life in rural Hungary.
While the name Gedeon has its origins in the Hebrew language and biblical history, it has been embraced by various cultures and societies over the centuries, with individuals bearing this name leaving their mark across different fields, including literature, religion, and science.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Gedeon
People
Gedeon + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gedeon as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gedeon: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gedeon?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 157 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gedeon going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 2,183,149 US residents.
Is Gedeon a common name?
We classify Gedeon as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 158 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gedeon most popular?
The single biggest year for Gedeon was 2017, when 11 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gedeon is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gedeon a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gedeon in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.