Symeon

Symeon is a masculine given name of Greek origin. It is a variant of Simeon, itself derived from the Hebrew name Shimon, meaning “he has heard.” In Greek usage the form Symeon (Συμεών) is common, and the name has been carried into various Christian traditions as Symeon or Simeon. In English-language contexts, Simeon is more prevalent in secular or general use, while Symeon often appears in ecclesiastical or historical writing.

In religious tradition, several notable figures bearing the name have become well known. In the New Testament, the prophet Simeon (often rendered Symeon in Greek-meditated texts) is described as a devout and righteous man who meets the infant Jesus at the Temple and prophesies about him. In later Christian monasticism, Symeon Stylites the Elder (circa 389–459) is remembered as a prominent ascetic who lived atop a pillar near Aleppo, a pioneering figure in the Stylite tradition of pillar-dwellers. Symeon Stylites the Younger (late 5th to 6th century) followed the same practice and is noted for continuing the apostolic imitation of the earlier stylite model.

The name has remained common in Eastern Christianity and among communities influenced by Greek, Russian, and other Orthodox traditions. It appears in historical, hagiographical, and liturgical contexts, preserving a lineage of spiritual and linguistic continuity from ancient to medieval times and into modern usage.