Find out how popular the last name Simon is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Simon.

Simon, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Simon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Simon in America

Simon is the 397th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Simon surname appeared 80,460 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 27 people would have the surname Simon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Simon to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Simon

The surname Simon is of Greek origin, derived from the personal name Simon, which itself derives from the Hebrew name Shimon, meaning "he has heard." The name was introduced into Europe through Biblical texts and the spread of Christianity.

The name Simon can be traced back to ancient Greek records and is mentioned in the New Testament as the name of one of Jesus' apostles, Simon Peter. It was later adopted as a common given name among early Christians, particularly in regions with strong Greek cultural influences.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Simon can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book contains entries for individuals with the name Simon, indicating its presence in England during the Norman period.

In the 12th century, a notable figure with the surname Simon was Simon de Montfort, a French nobleman and military leader born around 1165. He played a significant role in the Albigensian Crusade and later became the Earl of Leicester in England.

Another historical figure bearing the surname Simon was Simon Langton, an English Cardinal born around 1155. He was an influential figure in the Catholic Church and played a role in the signing of the Magna Carta in 1215.

In the 14th century, Simon Sudbury, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1375 to 1381, was a prominent figure during the Peasants' Revolt in England. He was born around 1316 and was eventually killed by rebels during the uprising.

During the Renaissance period, Simon Grynaeus, a German scholar and theologian born in 1493, made significant contributions to the study of ancient Greek texts and the promotion of humanism.

In the 17th century, Simon Vouet, a French painter born in 1590, was a leading figure in the Baroque style and influenced the development of French painting through his works and teachings.

These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Simon, reflecting the long-standing presence and significance of this name across various regions and time periods.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Simon

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Simon.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Simon was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Simon has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Simon was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Simon, please contact us.

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