Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Semaan (also spelled Sem'an, Simaan, Sim'an, Samaan, Sam'an) is one of the oldest Christian surnames in existence and is mainly found in the Levant area of the Middle East. It is derived from the Semitic root word/verb sema or shema, which means to hear ; thus, the meaning of Semaan becomes the one who hears or listens in both Syriac Aramaic and Arabic. Its equivalent in Hebrew is (Shimon or Shim'on), which also has the same meaning. The Greek version is (Simon) or (Symeon), and, when Latinized, it becomes Simon or Simeon.