Hector
How to say it: HEK-tur · /ˈhɛktər/
From Greek 'Hektor', meaning 'to hold' or 'restrain'. The name of the greatest Trojan hero in Homer's Iliad.
Hector was the 415th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 779 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 2000s, its births are down about 35% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #461 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #415 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 779 |
| Share of births | 1 in 4,255 |
| Peak decade | 2000s |
| Change over 10 years | −35% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #461 |
| In France, 2025 | #151 among boys’ names, 430 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Reaching its height in the 2000s, Hector has grown rarer since. Well below that point today, further slipping looks likely.
What goes with it
Strong consonants edged with breath give HEK tur a firm literary weight drawn from mythology. Ernesto carries a kindred force.
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Hector is about 1 in 178.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Danish, English, Finnish, French, Greek, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish, Welsh.
In France: #151 for boys in 2025.
England and Wales: #278.
Famous people named Hector
- Hector Berlioz (1803–1869)French composer and conductor
- Hector Malot (1830–1907)French writer
- Hector Guimard (1867–1942)French architect
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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