Hermas
A masculine name of Greek origin meaning "messenger".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Hermas. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hermas today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hermas births was 1926 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hermas. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hermas. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1926
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1926 SSA rank
#4,485
Tracked since 1926
Popularity
Hermas: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Hermas 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 Hermas during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Hermas
The name Hermas is of Greek origin, derived from the word "Hermes," the Greek god of trade, wealth, luck, fertility, and travel. It is believed to have its roots in ancient Greece, where it was used as a personal name during the classical period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hermas can be found in the Christian text known as "The Shepherd of Hermas," believed to have been written around the 2nd century AD. This text, considered a valuable early Christian work, is attributed to a man named Hermas, though little is known about his exact identity or background.
Hermas was also the name of a Christian martyr from the early 2nd century AD. According to historical records, he was a Roman Christian who was tortured and executed for his faith during the persecution of Christians under the reign of Emperor Trajan.
During the Byzantine period, the name Hermas was used by several notable figures, including Hermas of Constantinople, a 6th-century Byzantine scholar and grammarian. Another prominent individual with this name was Hermas of Philippi, a 7th-century Byzantine monk and hymnographer.
In the medieval period, the name Hermas appeared in various European regions, particularly in Italy and Spain. One notable bearer of this name was Hermas of Reichenau, a 9th-century Benedictine monk and scholar from the Reichenau Abbey in present-day Germany.
Throughout history, several other notable individuals have borne the name Hermas, including Hermas of Dalmatia, a 4th-century Christian martyr and saint, and Hermas of Byzantium, a 6th-century Byzantine philosopher and writer.
While the name Hermas has its origins in ancient Greek culture and early Christian history, it has remained relatively uncommon in modern times, particularly in English-speaking countries. However, variations of the name, such as Hermes or Hermès, have been more widely used, often associated with the Greek god or as a brand name in the fashion industry.
People
Hermas + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hermas as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hermas: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hermas?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hermas 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 - US residents.
Is Hermas a common name?
We classify Hermas as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hermas most popular?
The single biggest year for Hermas was 1926, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hermas is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hermas in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hermas a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hermas 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.
Is Hermas still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hermas in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hermas can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Hermas as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.