A biblical boy name often overlooked, Gideon is a lovely and offbeat spiritual moniker that has deep roots without feeling as classic as David or James. He seems like the perfect compromise popularity-wise as well, strong and stable at #320. And yet, he’s not in the top 100, despite all of these positive qualities, and is actually dropping. But why is such a promising boy name getting pushed to the bottom? Today, I’m reviewing the perks and downfalls of this fantastic biblical boy name with real modern potential.
Pros
Gideon originated as a biblical name, and sometimes, the backstories of those get dicey. Think Delilah or Cain, perfectly beautiful names that families often hold back on for their taboo connotation. However, Gideon is a perfectly heroic biblical character that religious or not, some families will admire for their upcoming baby boy. Famous for his role in the Old Testament, the biblical figure is known for fearlessly leading the Israelites into battle against the Midianites, a fierce army that had many advantages over Gideon’s, and coming out the victor. A faithful and loyal leader, Gideon is a wonderful role model in many expecting parents’ eyes. Not only is Gideon an honorable figure, his popularity is also in demand. Gideon currently ranks at #320, sandwiched between well-known favorites and obscure names, in a sweet spot that attracts many parents each year. For how familiar his popularity might suggest he is, Gideon sounds quite exotic and fresh, a name pretty new to the top 500, which he joined in 2010. Because the novelty of Gideon is so strong, and his popularity strikes a pleasing chord between popular and rare, Gideon is easily a fan favorite popularity-wise as well. And although Gideon feels novel, it’s not for lack of pop culture mentions and rich history. A character in the beloved Harry Potter series and the brother of Molly Weasley, Gideon Prewett was also a brave warrior and soldier that adds to the courageous feel, and the movie references don’t stop there. Gideon Gleeful, a character on the show “Gravity Falls,” portrays a 9 year old boy bearing the name as well. And Gideon blends in with biblical boy name Gabriel too, but with the added modern flair of a name like Grayson or Griffin. With perks like these, a strong and dependable name like Gideon is going to be hard to defeat!
Cons
Not every family uses a nickname for their child, but quite a few families who don’t use nicknames in public or at school do at home, whether they be pet names or literal short forms, and Giddy certainly isn’t ideal. Sure, your little boy may be an energetic kid, but regardless, Giddy has a sound that isn’t very pleasant, at least when measured up against popular nickname trends today. The hard G sound is normally associated with dated names like Gertrude and Gary that are seen as old-fashioned and out of style to say the least, adding insult to injury. And outside of Giddy, the nicknames don’t get better. In fact, the dated factor keeps coming back into play with a short form like Deon, whether pronounced like Dean or Dion. In the 70s, sounds resembling Dean and Dion were quite in style, with Dean reaching #78 and Dion hitting the mid-300s. Because Gideon’s sounds are so close to those of dated names, he may not sound so fresh to some people’s ears, and family nicknames or full-time short forms are rather limited to choices that aren’t so appealing for a family that enjoyed the offbeat modern feel of Gideon. Gideon is all harsh sounds while softer sounds are trending for team blue in recent years, which doesn’t help either.
And then the meaning. Gideon’s meaning is widely debated across various baby name platforms, but let’s start at the beginning. Gideon is derived from the Hebrew word gada, which, when translated, means “to cut asunder,” or “to hew down.” However, it’s difficult to take a meaning from that, and different sites and sources have their own take on what this phrase really means. While some people assume that “to hew down” means to destroy, and have adapted that to “mighty warrior” in accordance to the biblical tale, others see a severed hand represented in the phrase, giving the name another meaning: having a stump for a hand. Again, associations don’t make a meaning, as I discussed in my Vanessa name profile, so the “mighty warrior” meaning may or may not be irrelevant. However, the “having a stump for a hand” meaning isn’t necessarily one that many parents would be delighted to bestow upon their baby, although there may be some exceptions. Unfortunately, Gideon’s meaning isn’t very clear, and the ones that do make sense aren’t as positive as some of Gideon’s biblical brothers, and could even be potentially offensive. Not to mention that Gideon’s already on his way down in terms of popularity, meaning that he might just have been a fad of the 2010s, as he fails to meet many parents’ criteria in 2020.
Predictions For Gideon:
I won’t completely disregard Gideon’s potential, because he has a lot, but his dated sounds and strange conflicting meanings do lessen the appeal along with his stark difference from the baby name trends that are rocketing up the charts today. Although I think he’s an excellent choice for parents who want a bold but recognizable biblical name for their little boy, I doubt he’s going to climb in upcoming years of data. I hope you enjoyed this overview of the pros and cons of Gideon!
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
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