Boy · #380 in 2026

Hector

Name: Popularity of the name Hector in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Hector, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Hector is an English, French, Scottish, and Spanish given name. The name is derived from the name of Hektor, a legendary Trojan champion who was killed by the Greek Achilles. The name Hektor is probably derived from the Greek ékhein, meaning "to have", "to hold", "to check", "restrain".

English
French
Greek Mythology
Arthurian Cycle

Current Rank

#380

Peak Rank

#156 (2005)

Total Babies

110K

5-Yr Trend

-10%

1935

First Year

2008

Last Year

1980

Peak Year

#3720

Peak Rank

481

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Hector

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

English
French
Greek Mythology
Arthurian Cycle
Spanish
Catalan

Etymology

In Greek, Héktōr is a derivative of the verb ἔχειν ékhein , archaic form * ἕχειν , hékhein ('to have' or 'to hold'), from Proto-Indo-European * seɡ́ʰ- ('to hold'). Héktōr , or Éktōr as found in Aeolic poetry, is also an epithet of Zeus in his capacity as 'he who holds [everything together]'. Hector's name could thus be taken to mean 'holding fast'.

The Story of Hector

Hector first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 15 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2005, when 2,458 Hectors were born — ranking #167 that year. As of 2026, Hector ranks #380 for baby boys with 856 births, gradually falling (-10%). In total, more than 110K Hectors have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Variants & Related Forms of Hector

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Hector. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Hektor

Notable people named Hector

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

Hector Gottfried Masius (1653–1709), German Lutheran theologian
Hector Abhayavardhana (1919–2012), Sri Lankan Sinhala Trotskyist politician
Héctor Alterio (1929–2025), Argentine actor
Hector Appuhamy , Sri Lankan politician
Hector Arawwawala , Governor of North Western Province, Sri Lanka (1995–1999)
Héctor Ávila , Dominican boxer
Héctor Ballesteros , Colombian weightlifter
Héctor Bellerín , Spanish football (soccer) player

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Hector

Phonetically similar names — useful when Hector is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Hecter
Hektor
Hoctor
Waechter
Heter
Hectare
Hecht
Hecker
Hect
Hecta
Hectors
Hectored

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hector

What does the name Hector mean?

What is the origin of the name Hector?

Hector has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, French, Greek Mythology, Arthurian Cycle, Spanish, Catalan.

How popular is Hector in 2026?

In 2026, Hector ranks #380 among boys' names in the U.S., with 856 babies given the name that year.

When was Hector most popular?

Hector reached its peak popularity in 2005, ranking #156 that year with 2,458 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Hector most popular?

Hector has historically been most popular in Puerto Rico, Arizona, Texas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Hector.

Is Hector a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Hector is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Hector?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Hector include Sergio, Hayes, Stacy. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

What are nicknames or variants of Hector?

Common variants and related forms of Hector include Hektor. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

About the name Hector

Hector is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 110K births in the dataset. Hector's peak popularity came in 2005 when it ranked #156. Use the chart and map above to compare Hector's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.