| Amos | Gideon | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Carried by God | hewer, feller |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | AY-mus | GID-ee-un |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1922 (558) | 2017 (1,161) |
| In 2025 | 364 | 993 |
| Trend | Rising | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Amos | Gideon |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 2,463 | 6,236 |
| 2010s | 3,243 | 9,221 |
| 2000s | 1,788 | 3,460 |
| 1990s | 1,749 | 1,089 |
| 1980s | 2,321 | 704 |
| 1970s | 2,155 | 402 |
| 1960s | 2,086 | 207 |
| 1950s | 2,810 | 160 |
| 1940s | 2,767 | 120 |
| 1930s | 3,343 | 115 |
| 1920s | 4,891 | 226 |
| 1910s | 3,674 | 185 |
| 1900s | 1,062 | 40 |
| 1890s | 1,023 | 24 |
| 1880s | 1,161 | 81 |
Amos means “carried” or “borne by God.” Amos is a prophet.
From the Hebrew verb gada, 'to hew down, cut off,' hence 'hewer' or 'feller' — fitting the judge who cut down Baal's altar (Judges 6). The common 'mighty warrior' gloss is a secondary association from his role, not the meaning of the root; because no noun is formed from the verb, the exact nuance stays somewhat uncertain.
Gideon is more popular than Amos today: about 993 US babies were given the name Gideon in 2025, compared with 364 named Amos.
Amos means Carried by God (Hebrew origin), while Gideon means hewer, feller (hebrew origin).
In US records, Amos first appears in 1880 and Gideon in 1880, so Amos has the longer recorded history.