Ector
Masculine name of Latin origin meaning "leader" or "guide".
Name Census estimates that about 661 living Americans carry the first name Ector. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Ector today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ector births was 1995 (21 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ector. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
661
~ 1 in 518,539 Americans
Peak year
1995
21 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2022 SSA rank
#11,242
Tracked since 1919
Popularity
Ector: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ector from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 150 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ector by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ector during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ectors live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ector
The name Ector has its origins in the ancient Greek language. It is derived from the Greek word "hektōr," which means "holding fast" or "steadfast." The name can be traced back to the 8th century BC and the legendary figure of Hector, a Trojan prince who fought valiantly in the Trojan War, as depicted in Homer's epic poem, the Iliad.
Hector was the first-born son of King Priam and Queen Hecuba of Troy. He was regarded as the greatest fighter for Troy during the Trojan War and was known for his bravery, skill, and unwavering devotion to his family and city. Hector's name became synonymous with courage, strength, and loyalty, qualities that were highly valued in ancient Greek society.
The name Ector, with its variant spellings such as Hector and Hectour, gained popularity throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. It was commonly used among the nobility and military classes, reflecting the name's association with heroism and martial prowess.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Ector can be found in the 12th-century French epic poem, "The Song of Roland." In this work, Ector is the name of a Frankish knight who fights alongside the legendary Roland at the Battle of Roncesvalles.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ector. One of the most famous was Ector de Maris (c. 1170-1262), a French knight who served as the tutor and mentor of King Arthur in Arthurian legend. Another was Ector Berlioz (1803-1869), a renowned French Romantic composer known for works such as the Symphonie Fantastique.
Other notable figures with the name Ector include Ector Cafferata (1908-1972), an Argentine actor and film director, and Ector County, Texas, which was named after Mathew Ector (1784-1841), an early settler and soldier in the Texas Revolution.
People
Ector + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ector as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with E
Other first names starting with E with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ector: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ector?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 661 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ector going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 518,539 US residents.
Is Ector a common name?
We classify Ector as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 783 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ector most popular?
The single biggest year for Ector was 1995, when 21 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ector is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Ector a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Ector in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.