Simon Name Meaning: What Does Simon Mean for a Cat?

Simon comes from the Hebrew Shim’on, “hearing, listening”, a dignified old name for the cat who is always listening at the door, and the name of the most decorated cat in naval history.

What Does the Name Simon Mean?

Simon’s verified meaning, as recorded by Behind the Name, is: “From Hebrew Shim’on ‘hearing, listening’, from shama ‘to hear, listen’, via the Greek form Simon.” Its origin is Hebrew, via Greek. The meaning above is the verified literal one, not a personality guess. Pet articles that gloss Simon simply as “listener” or “he who hears” are, for once, correct.

One honest footnote, because name sites often muddle it: Behind the Name notes that the New Testament spelling Simon may have been influenced by an unrelated Greek name, Simon, meaning “snub-nosed.” That Greek name is a coincidence of spelling, not the source of this one, Simon the apostle’s name is the Hebrew Shim’on, heard through Greek ears.

What Kind of Cat Suits the Name Simon?

Simon suits a watchful, self-possessed tom, the cat who sits upright, listens to the whole conversation, and delivers his verdict later. It is a proper human name with vintage weight, so it pairs beautifully with the recent fashion for giving cats serious, grandfatherly names.

The sound helps: “SY-mun” is crisp and two-syllabled, easy to call and easy for a cat to learn. Si is the occasional short form, though Simon usually stays Simon, it is that kind of name. A black-and-white cat wears it with a famous precedent, as the next section explains.

How Popular Is Simon for Cats?

Simon sits in the familiar lower half of the big charts: Rover ranks it #91 combined and #31 among male cats, and U.S. News places it at #62. It is kept current by a beloved cartoon double, Simon’s Cat, Simon Tofield’s animated series about a very hungry cat and his owner, also named Simon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the name Simon mean?

Simon comes from Hebrew Shim’on, “hearing, listening,” from the verb shama, “to hear, listen,” reaching English via the Greek form Simon.

Is Simon Greek or Hebrew?

Hebrew at the root. Behind the Name notes the New Testament spelling may have been influenced by an unrelated Greek name Simon (“snub-nosed”), but the name itself is Hebrew Shim’on.

Was there a famous cat named Simon?

Yes, Simon, ship’s cat of HMS Amethyst, was injured in the 1949 Yangtze Incident, kept hunting rats regardless, and remains the only cat awarded the Dickin Medal, the animals’ Victoria Cross.

Where can I find more names like Simon?

Browse our Boy Cat Names and Vintage Cat Names lists, or explore the full cat name meanings hub.

By Brianna Baxter

Meaning and origin verified against Behind the Name.