October 28
Why this day? This is the day the name-day calendar sets aside for Simon the Zealot.
Disciple of Christ in the 1st century, from Galilee. He refused to bend under political or social pressure, remaining faithful to his convictions until martyrdom. This tenacity makes him a model of consistency.
What stays with us: We learn here that standing firm, even in the face of adversity, is a form of courage. Faithfulness to one's ideas is not a weakness, but a strength.
🌍 Simon is celebrated France, United States, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Argentina and Germany on October 28.
Simon is one of those biblical first names that have survived the centuries without ever wrinkling. Carried by two of the twelve apostles – Simon Peter, the rock of the Church, and Simon the Zealot, celebrated on October 28 – it roots in Hebrew in “Shim’on,” meaning “the one whom God has heard.” A beautiful promise of listening, inscribed in the very heart of the name.
From Simón Bolívar, who liberated South America, to Simon & Garfunkel, who harmonized the 60s, to the famous electronic game “Simon” and the children’s song “Simon says,” the first name has spread across all Western cultures. In France, it has never truly disappeared from the picture and has been making a strong comeback since the 2000s.
Today, Simon breathes balance: neither too much nor too little, he embodies a calm, educated boy, somewhat discreet, to whom one gladly entrusts his secrets. A first name that is both gentle and firm, timeless as a good wool sweater.
Simon is the boy you look to when everything goes off the rails – the one who truly listens, without interrupting, the etymology personified (“the one whom God has heard”). His loyalty is a rock, a worthy heir to Simon Peter, and his stability is reassuring: with him, there are no emotional rollercoasters, but a clear and reliable line. You entrust him with your secrets in your sleep.
Behind his calm facade, Simon hides a sharp mind. His number 7 drives him to dig, to understand the mechanisms of things; he reads, observes, puts the puzzle pieces together before expressing his opinion – and when he does, he hits the nail on the head. A born diplomat, he defuses conflicts with the right word, with that discreet elegance of a Simon Rattle under the baton. Not the type to claim the spotlights: his need for attention is modest, he prefers effective shadow to noise.
He is not a permanent fireworks display – his energy is moderate, his humor more subtle than explosive. But do not underestimate him: beneath the gentility simmers real ambition, patient and persistent, which made a Simón Bolívar the liberator of continents. Simon advances at his own pace, silently, and often arrives first. His sensitivity, which is genuine, hides behind a shyness of his own: he feels everything, but filters what he shows. To love a Simon means to gain a discreet and unshakable ally – the confidant you keep for life.
Playful portrait, for entertainment.
Simon, this “God has heard,” is an architect of fleshly silence. In love, he does not chase the noise of transient passions; he seeks the echo, that perfect resonance, in which his soul finally finds its answer. His seduction is slow, almost unsettling in its precision: he listens more than he speaks, and deciphers every sigh like a profane prayer. He loves souls that dare to be vulnerable, for he knows how to fulfill unspoken wishes and transform intimacy into an exclusive sanctuary. What does he fear? Loud superficiality, those relationships that speak without ever crossing paths. Tired of games, he demands a dizzying connection where body and mind finally answer each other. For him, love means finally being heard, deeply, without filters. He offers a loyalty rooted in substance, not in form. If you seek a crazy flame, flee. If you want to be understood to the bone, stay. He transforms waiting time into ecstasy and makes every glance a vow. It is a love of the root, dark and fertile.
Simon comes from the Hebrew Shim’on, “(God) has heard,” via the Greek Simôn. It is a biblical first name carried by two apostles.
On October 28, the day of Saint Simon the Zealot, Apostle, celebrated with Saint Jude.
“The one whom God has heard,” the one who has been heard – an idea of listening and attention inscribed in the name.
Both: Biblical and millennia old, it has experienced a real revival since the 2000s and remains very popular today.
Simone and Simeone in Italian, Simón in Spanish, Simeon in English, Chimone/Shimon in Hebrew, Semion in Russian.
Playful profile, for entertainment.