Simon Name Meaning in the Bible: The Simons of the Gospels, Why Jesus Called Simon Peter, and Simón in Spanish

She conceived again, and bore a son, and said, “Because Yahweh has heard that I am hated, he has therefore given me this son also.” She named him Simeon.

The storm called Simon

The National Hurricane Center's archive page for Simon lists storm EP20 of 2026, with Advisory 1 at 1500 UTC on October 7, and the Associated Press reported that day that it formed south-southeast of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico. The Advisory 5 discussion, issued at 1500 UTC on October 8, described outer bands moving across coastal areas of southwestern Mexico, and Advisory 9, at 1500 UTC on October 9, shows Simon as a hurricane. Follow the national weather service of your own country:

• National Hurricane Center and en español
• National Weather Service
• Ready.gov hurricanes and en español
• American Red Cross hurricane page
• In Mexico, the Servicio Meteorológico Nacional

Which Simon is which

The World Meteorological Organization's list draws on common names rather than on any one person. In Christian conversation "Simon" alone most often means Simon Peter, but the Gospels and Acts have many:

• Simon Peter (Matthew 4:18, 16:16-19; Mark 1:16; John 1:40-42), a fisherman and one of the Twelve.
• Simon the Zealot or Cananaean, among the Twelve (Matthew 10:4, Luke 6:15, Acts 1:13), and Simon, a brother of Jesus (Matthew 13:55, Mark 6:3).
• Simon of Cyrene, who carries the cross (Mark 15:21), and Simon the leper of Bethany (Mark 14:3).
• Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50), Simon the tanner of Joppa (Acts 9:43), Simon the sorcerer (Acts 8:9-24), and Simon, father of Judas Iscariot (John 6:71).
• Simeon in Jerusalem (Luke 2:25-35) and Symeon called Niger (Acts 13:1), related forms of the name, carried by two different men.

Was Simon a brother of Jesus? Catholic teaching reads "brothers" as relatives (Catechism, 500), the Orthodox reading is Joseph's children from an earlier marriage, and many Protestants read ordinary brothers born after Jesus.

Where the Gospels first meet Simon.

What Jesus called Simon, and why

John 1:42 gives the naming:

He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter).

Peter is the Greek Petros, a detached stone; Cephas is the Aramaic Kepha, "rock." Jesus still says "Simon" afterward, in Luke 22:31, Mark 14:37 and John 21:15-17, so the Gospels use both names for the same man. That answers "¿Por qué Jesús le dice Simón a Pedro?" and "¿Quién era Simón para Jesús?": a fisherman, a disciple, and the man Jesus named.

Traditions read the "rock" differently. The Catechism says Simon Peter holds "the first place in the college of the Twelve" and that the Lord made him "the rock of his Church" (552 and 881-882); the Church keeps Saints Peter and Paul on June 29. The Orthodox Church in America reads the rock as Peter's confession, and the Orthodox Presbyterian Church reads Christ or the confession as the rock. In the Hebrew Bible, renamings such as Abram to Abraham and Jacob to Israel carry memory and calling, which answers "¿Por qué Jesús cambió el nombre de Simón?"

The night by the fire, and the breakfast by the lake

In Luke 5:8-10 Simon falls at Jesus' knees after a night of empty nets, saying “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord,” and Jesus answers, “Don’t be afraid. From now on you will be catching people alive.”

The four Gospels tell the denial (Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22, John 18). They share Peter's promise, three denials and the rooster; they differ on who questions him, and Mark has the rooster crow twice. Luke 22:61 adds "The Lord turned, and looked at Peter," and in 22:62 Peter "went out, and wept bitterly." Matthew Henry and Enduring Word discuss them; Bible verses for regret reads Luke 22.

John 21:1-19 is a breakfast by the Sea of Tiberias after another night of empty nets. Jesus asks Peter three times about his love and each time gives him work: "Feed my lambs," "Tend my sheep," "Feed my sheep." Peter "was grieved because he asked him the third time." Acts 2, Galatians 2:11-14 and 1 Peter 5:1-4 show him preaching at Pentecost, opposed by Paul at Antioch, and writing as a fellow elder; a later tradition, in 1 Clement 5 and Eusebius, says he died a martyr in Rome. The story gives a man named for a rock who failed a friend in one night, was met by that friend again, and was given work. Bible verses for forgiving yourself tells the breakfast.

Psalm 103:8-12, for anyone who sees themselves by that fire

Verses 5 to 7 just before it speak of good things and of God's ways. Then, in verses 8 to 12:

Yahweh is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness. He will not always accuse; neither will he stay angry forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor repaid us for our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

This psalm of praise recalls God's character: mercy, anger that does not last, and wrongdoing carried as far as east is from west. It describes what God has already done with wrongdoing. Sefaria ties its Hebrew rachum v'chanun to Exodus 34:6. If someone was hurt, a conversation with them, confession, a pastor or counselor, and making amends are yours to choose, and they can stand beside it.

Read Psalm 103:8-12 with the verses around it aloud once, then hold this question: What are you still holding that this says has already been carried away? Bible verses for guilt and shame reads the same psalm. For a friend who is ashamed, gentler lines help:

• Instead of "just confess and move on," try "That sounds heavy. Do you want to tell me what happened?"
• Instead of "God forgave you, so forgive yourself," try "I'm not going to tell you how to feel about it."
• Instead of "you must feel worse first," try "I'm with you."

Left where work stopped.

If you have wondered whether the name means something

Traditions differ on providence. The Hurricane Center explains that names come from lists set years ahead, so this one was chosen long before the storm. In Luke 13:1-5 Jesus declines to say that those who suffered a disaster were worse sinners than others, and Matthew 5:45 says the rain falls on the just and the unjust. Wondering is allowed, and if the name sent you to Peter's story, it is worth the read.

Other names on the 2026 storm lists with a story in the Bible: Isaias, Rachel, Josephine, Leah, Marco, Omar, Paulette, Sally and Zeke.

Simón, in Spanish

¿Cuál es el significado del nombre Simón? Simón is linked to hearing, and Pedro comes from the Greek Petros, "rock," so Simón Pedro joins the inherited name and the name Jesus gave. The Reina-Valera 1909 spells Simón in Mateo 16:16-18, Lucas 22:31-34, Juan 1:40-42 and Juan 21:15-17; Cefas in Juan 1:42, 1 Corintios 1:12 and 15:5, and Gálatas 2:9 and 2:11; and Simeón in Lucas 2:25-35 and Hechos 13:1.

Is Simon a good name? It is an old name carried in many languages by fishermen, apostles and saints, and whether it suits a child is a family's call. Spain's INE name tool and the Social Security Administration's Simon by year show how common it is.

For your own nights

These lines are for any heavy night. If you are thinking of harming yourself, calling comes first. In the United States, call or text 988, or text AYUDA to 988 for Spanish. In Canada, call or text 9-8-8. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Samaritans is on 116 123. In Australia, Lifeline is 13 11 14. Anywhere else, Find A Helpline and the IASP directory list services by country.

Tonight, read Psalm 103:8-12 once, aloud, and if the storm is near you, open the Hurricane Center page for your area. Bible Nudge can find you a passage: Find a passage.