Gideon: Name Meaning, Origin, and Bible Story. A lush vineyard heavy with fruit at golden hour.

Name meaning

Gideon: Meaning, Origin, and the Bible

Hebrew · one who cuts down, or mighty warrior · Judges 6:12

Gideon is a Hebrew name meaning one who cuts down, or mighty warrior. In the Bible, the reluctant judge who defeated midian bore this name. Below is its true meaning, its story, a verse that fits it, and a blessing.

In the Bible a name is never only a label. It carries a hope, a prayer, or a story, and again and again God Himself gives or changes a name to mark what He is doing in a life. So to ask what a name means is a good and old question, and it deserves an honest answer, not a guess. Here is the real meaning, where it comes from, and where it can lead.

What the name Gideon means

The name Gideon comes from Hebrew and means one who cuts down, or mighty warrior. Names like this were chosen with care, often to remember what God had done or to speak a hope over a child, and the meaning has carried down through the generations to the families who give the name today.

Gideon in the Bible

The angel of the LORD greeted Gideon, the least in his family, as thou mighty man of valour. Fearful and full of questions, he asked for signs, yet God whittled his army to three hundred men so the victory could only be God's. With torches and trumpets they routed the vast host of Midian. His name means one who cuts down, for he first cut down his father's altar to Baal.

A verse for Gideon

“And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.”Judges 6:12

A blessing for Gideon

A blessing over Gideon: may Gideon grow to know that the God who names the stars knows Gideon by name and loves Gideon still. The name means one who cuts down; may that meaning become more than a word, a true and lived thing. May Gideon be kept, be brave, and be drawn all the days of life to Jesus Christ, in whom every good hope is kept safe.

Every name points to one Name

Scripture says God has given Jesus a name which is above every name, and that there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Whatever your name means, its deepest hope is met in Him. He knows His own by name, and He calls them to Himself as the Living Bread, the One who satisfies the hunger no name can fill.

Who is Jesus? · The gospel explained · Begin with Jesus

Go deeperPeople of the BibleRead the chapterAll name meanings

Questions people ask

Is Gideon a name in the Bible?

Yes. The reluctant judge who defeated Midian bore the name Gideon in Scripture. You can read the account above; the Bible tells the story plainly and honestly.

What does the name Gideon mean?

Gideon is a Hebrew name meaning one who cuts down, or mighty warrior.

What does Gideon mean in Hebrew?

In Hebrew, the name Gideon means one who cuts down, or mighty warrior. That is its genuine root, not a modern guess.

More name meaningsPhinehasDeborahSamsonSamuel All name meanings
Enter Living Breadprayer, Scripture, a family near you