simon

S1I1M3O1N1
/ˈsaɪmən/

noun

Sixpence coin.

OriginMiddle English Simon ← Anglo-Norman Simon ← Latin Simon →
CommonFirst used 17th-19th C.Scrabble 7
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Meanings

simon1

nounsimon (plural simons)

plural simons · alternative Simon

  1. UKdatedslangSixpence coin.First known use 17th-19th C.
  2. USarchaicslangA US dollar.First known use 19th C.

Simon2

proper nounSimon (plural Simons)

plural Simons

  1. Name of any of a number of men in the New Testament, notably the original name of Apostle Peter.
    1 more example

    Now the names of the twelue Apoſtles are theſe: The firſt, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, Iames the ſonne of Zebedee, and Iohn his brother: Philip, and Bartholomew, Thomas, and Matthew the Publicane, Iames the ſonne of Alpheus, and Lebbeus, whoſe ſurname was Thaddeus: Simon the Canaanite, and Iudas Iſcariot, who alſo betrayed him.

    1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Matthew 10:2–4, columns 2–1
  2. A male given name from Hebrew.
    1 more example

    His first name is Simon. I wonder why his mother named him that, or it may have been his father. My own father never bothered with the naming of us, it was up to Mother and Aunt Pauline. There is Simon Peter the Apostle, of course, who was made a fisher of men by our Lord. But there is also Simple Simon. Met a pie man, going to the fair.

    1996, Margaret Atwood, Alias Grace, Bloomsbury, →ISBN, page 379
  3. A surname originating as a patronymic.

    Western musicians such as Peter Gabriel, Sting, Paul Simon and David Byrne

    2016, Vanessa Knights, Ian Biddle, Music, National Identity and the Politics of Location, page 52
nounSimon (plural Simons)

plural Simons

  1. Alternative letter-case form of simon (“sixpence coin”).

    […] I ovve Crop the Lender a Brace, and if I have a ſingle Simon to pay him, rot me: […]

    1721, [Colley] Cibber, The Refusal; or, The Ladies Philosophy: A Comedy. […], London: […] B[arnaby Bernard] Lintot, […]; W[illiam] Mears, […]; and W[illiam Rufus] Chetwood, […], →OCLC, Act I, pages 9–10

Origin

simon · noun

Uncertain. One theory suggests derivation from a joke based on the bible verse Acts 9:43, rendered as “Peter lodged with Simon a tanner”, a pun on the meanings of lodge (“stay in a place; put away money”). Partridge suggests that this not possible given the dates, however, and suggests instead derivation from some unknown person’s name. Attested from the late 17th century, with synonymous tanner attested from the 18th. Compare also simony, from a different biblical figure, Simon Magnus. The “US dollar” sense derives from the earlier “sixpence”, perhaps influenced by the $ symbol.

Full word history & related roots →

Simon · proper noun, noun

  1. Proto-Germanic*Sigimunduz
  2. Old EnglishSiġemund
  3. Old NorseSigmundr
  4. Biblical Hebrewשִׁמְעוֹן
  5. Koine GreekΣίμων
  6. LatinSimon
  7. Anglo-NormanSimon
  8. Middle EnglishSimon
  9. EnglishSimon

From Middle English Simon, Symond, Symounde, from Anglo-Norman Simon, Simond, Simund, a conflation of two unrelated names: one from Latin Simon, from Koine Greek Σίμων (Símōn), strictly from Ancient Greek—likely σῑμός (sīmós, “snub-nosed”)—but used for Biblical Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן (šimʿōn), doublet of Simeon; the other from Old Norse Sigmundr or Old English Siġemund, both from Proto-Germanic *Sigimunduz (literally “Protector of victory”), whence also Sigmund and Siegmund.

More words from Middle English, Anglo-Norman, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek Σίμων
  • Σίμων (Símōn)biblical characters
Arabic سِمْعَان, شَمْعُون
  • سِمْعَان (simʕān)biblical characters
  • شَمْعُون (šamʕūn)biblical characters
  • سِمْعَان (simʕān)male given name
  • شَمْعُون (šamʕūn)male given name
Basque Ximon
  • Ximonmale given name
Catalan Simó, Simó
  • Simóbiblical characters
  • Simómale given name
Chinese Cantonese 西門 /西门, 西滿 /西满
  • 西門 /西门 (sai¹ mun⁴)biblical characters
  • 西滿 /西满 (sai¹ mun⁵)biblical characters
Chinese Mandarin 西門 /西门, 西滿 /西满
  • 西門 /西门 (Xīmén)biblical characters
  • 西滿 /西满 (Xīmǎn)biblical characters
  • 西蒙 (Xīméng)male given name
  • 賽門 /赛门 (Sàimén)male given name
Czech Šimon
  • Šimonmale given name
Danish Simon, Simon
  • Simonbiblical characters
  • Simonmale given name
Estonian Siimon, Siim
  • Siimonbiblical characters
  • Siimmale given name
Finnish Simon, Simo
  • Simonbiblical characters
  • Simomale given name
French Simon, Simon
  • Simonbiblical characters
  • Simonmale given name
German Simon, Simon
  • Simonbiblical characters
  • Simonmale given name
Greek Σίμωνας, Σίμων
  • Σίμωνας (Símonas)male given name
  • Σίμων (Símon)male given name
  • Σάιμον (Sáimon)male given name
Hawaiian Simona, Kimona
  • Simonabiblical characters
  • Kimonamale given name
Hebrew שִׁמְעוֹן, שִׁמְעוֹן
  • שִׁמְעוֹן (shim'ón)biblical characters
  • שִׁמְעוֹן (Shim'ón)male given name
Hindi शमौन, साइमन
  • शमौन (śamaun)biblical characters
  • साइमन (sāiman)male given name
Indonesian Simon
  • Simonbiblical characters
Irish Síomón, Síomón
  • Síomónbiblical characters
  • Síomónmale given name
Italian Simone, Simone
  • Simonebiblical characters
  • Simonemale given name
Japanese サイモン
  • サイモン (Saimon)male given name
Latin Simon
  • Simonmale given name
Lithuanian Simonas, Simonas
  • Simonasbiblical characters
  • Simonasmale given name
Māori Haimona, Haimona
  • Haimonabiblical characters
  • Haimonamale given name
Norwegian Simon, Simon
  • Simonbiblical characters
  • Simonmale given name
Persian شمعون, سمعان
  • شمعون (šam'un)biblical characters
  • سمعان (sem'ân)biblical characters
  • شمعون (šam'un)male given name
  • سمعان (sem'ân)male given name
Polish Szymon
  • Szymonmale given name
Portuguese Simão, Simão
  • Simãobiblical characters
  • Simãomale given name
Russian Симо́н, Симео́н
  • Симо́н (Simón)biblical characters
  • Симео́н (Simeón)biblical characters
  • Семён (Semjón)biblical characters
  • Шимо́н (Šimón)biblical characters
  • Симо́н (Simón)male given name
  • Семён (Semjón)male given name
  • Са́ймон (Sájmon)male given name
Scottish Gaelic Sìmon, Sìm
  • Sìmonbiblical characters
  • Sìmmale given name
Spanish Simón, Simón
  • Simónbiblical characters
  • Simónmale given name
Swedish Simon, Simon
  • Simonbiblical characters
  • Simonmale given name
Tagalog Simon
  • Simonbiblical characters
Ukrainian Сімо́н, Семе́н
  • Сімо́н (Simón)biblical characters
  • Семе́н (Semén)biblical characters
  • Семе́н (Semén)male given name
  • Сімо́н (Simón)male given name
Vietnamese Simon, Simôn
  • Simonbiblical characters
  • Simônbiblical characters

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with simon

hymenTimon
All rhymes →

Anagrams

minosOsmin
Cite this entry
APA

simon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/simon

MLA

“simon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/simon. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “simon,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/simon.

Source: simon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.