Hermela
A feminine name of Ethiopian origin meaning "golden light" or "ray of sunshine".
Name Census estimates that about 287 living Americans carry the first name Hermela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hermela today is around 14 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hermela births was 2009 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hermela. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Hermela with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
287
~ 1 in 1,194,266 Americans
Peak year
2009
23 babies that year
Average age
14
years old
2024 SSA rank
#14,062
Tracked since 1999
Census
Hermela in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 490 people with the first name Hermela, which placed it at #20,910 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#20,910
National first-name rank
People counted
490
490 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
90.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hermela
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Hermela is Black at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Hermela described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Hermela at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American90.6% · 444
- Hispanic or Latino6.1% · 30
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 6
- White0.8% · 4
- Two or more races0.8% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
Popularity
Hermela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hermela from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 125 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Hermela remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hermela 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 Hermela during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hermelas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Hermela
The name Hermela has its roots in the ancient Greek language, originating from the word "hermes," which means "messenger" or "interpreter." This name was derived from the Greek god Hermes, who served as the messenger of the gods and was revered for his eloquence and wit.
During the classical era in ancient Greece, the name Hermela was often bestowed upon young girls, symbolizing the qualities of intelligence, communication, and the ability to convey messages effectively. It was a name that carried a sense of honor and respect within the Greek culture.
In the early Christian era, the name Hermela found its way into various religious texts and scriptures. One notable mention was in the writings of Saint Hermela, a 4th-century Christian martyr who was celebrated for her unwavering faith and courage in the face of persecution.
Throughout the ages, several historical figures have borne the name Hermela. One of the earliest recorded examples was Hermela of Sicily (c. 1050 - 1120), a renowned scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of logic and metaphysics. Her works were widely studied and influenced the intellectual discourse of her time.
Another notable figure was Hermela of Saxony (1182 - 1247), a German noblewoman who played a crucial role in the establishment of several monasteries and convents in the region. Her patronage and devotion to religious life left a lasting impact on the spiritual landscape of medieval Germany.
In the 16th century, Hermela Brandt (1528 - 1596) was a celebrated Dutch painter and engraver, renowned for her exquisite portraits and intricate engravings. Her artworks were highly sought after by the wealthy and influential figures of her era, and she is regarded as one of the most accomplished female artists of the Renaissance period.
During the 18th century, Hermela Gainsborough (1724 - 1798) was a prominent English portrait painter, known for her elegant and sophisticated depictions of the aristocracy and gentry. Her paintings captured the essence of her subjects with remarkable skill and attention to detail, earning her a place among the most celebrated artists of her time.
Lastly, Hermela Stein (1891 - 1962) was a prominent American philosopher and writer, renowned for her contributions to the field of phenomenology and existentialism. Her works, such as "On the Problem of Empathy" and "Finite and Eternal Being," explored the complexities of human existence and the nature of consciousness, leaving a lasting impact on philosophical discourse.
These are just a few examples of the many remarkable individuals who have carried the name Hermela throughout history, each leaving an indelible mark in their respective fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of cultural and intellectual heritage.
People
Hermela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hermela 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
Hermela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hermela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 287 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hermela 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 1,194,266 US residents.
Is Hermela a common name?
We classify Hermela as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 290 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hermela most popular?
The single biggest year for Hermela was 2009, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hermela is about 14 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Hermela in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 490 people with the name Hermela, or 0.16 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #20,910 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Hermela in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Hermela?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Hermela appears almost entirely female. Of the 489 people counted with this name, 99.6% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Hermela?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Hermela is Black at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Hermela most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Hermela in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (444 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Hermela in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hermela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hermela in the SSA data are female. 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 Hermela still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hermela 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 Hermela 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.
How many people are called Hermela?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.