| Simon | Ari | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | He has heard | lion |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | SY-mun | AH-ree |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1958 |
| Peak year | 2015 (1,645) | 2022 (1,030) |
| In 2025 | 1,529 | 808 |
| Trend | Steady | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Simon | Ari |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 8,646 | 5,363 |
| 2010s | 14,880 | 7,111 |
| 2000s | 13,428 | 3,436 |
| 1990s | 7,514 | 1,667 |
| 1980s | 5,395 | 1,267 |
| 1970s | 3,574 | 1,259 |
| 1960s | 2,194 | 467 |
| 1950s | 2,120 | 22 |
| 1940s | 2,068 | 0 |
| 1930s | 2,124 | 0 |
| 1920s | 3,210 | 0 |
| 1910s | 2,780 | 0 |
| 1900s | 778 | 0 |
| 1890s | 731 | 0 |
| 1880s | 841 | 0 |
From the Hebrew Shimʿon, “he has heard.” Simon Peter is chief among the apostles.
From Hebrew ari (also aryeh), 'lion.' A short modern Hebrew name; distinct from the theophoric Ariel ('lion of God'). A concrete noun — its strength associations are connotation, not etymology.
Simon is more popular than Ari today: about 1,529 US babies were given the name Simon in 2025, compared with 808 named Ari.
Simon means He has heard (Hebrew origin), while Ari means lion (hebrew origin).
In US records, Simon first appears in 1880 and Ari in 1958, so Simon has the longer recorded history.