Menno Simons was a Roman Catholic priest from the Friesland region of the Low Countries who became an influential Anabaptist religious leader. Simons was a contemporary of the Protestant Reformers and it is from his name that his followers became known as Mennonites.
"Menno Simons" is the Dutch version of his name; the Frisian version is Minne Simens, the possessive "s" creating a patronym meaning "Minne, son of Simen".