Hermes
Herald or messenger; associated with speed, eloquence and trade.
Name Census estimates that about 638 living Americans carry the first name Hermes. It is a predominantly male name (99.2% of registrations). The average person named Hermes today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hermes births was 2021 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hermes. 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
638
~ 1 in 537,233 Americans
Peak year
2021
30 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,908
Tracked since 1924
Gender
Gender distribution for Hermes
Out of the 665 babies given the name Hermes since 1880, 99.2% were registered as male. The name sits firmly on the male side of the spectrum, with only a handful of female registrations across the entire dataset.
Hermes as a male name
- Ranked #3,908 in 2024
- 28 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (30 births)
Hermes as a female name
- Ranked #16,437 in 2019
- 5 female births in 2019
- Peak: 2019 (5 births)
Popularity
Hermes: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hermes from the 1920s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 133 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hermes 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 Hermes during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hermes' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Hermes, while Florida, Texas, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hermes
The name Hermes is derived from the ancient Greek word "hermeneus", meaning "messenger" or "interpreter". It originates from the ancient Greek god Hermes, who was the messenger of the gods and the patron of travelers, commerce, and communication.
The earliest recorded use of the name Hermes can be traced back to ancient Greek mythology and literature, where Hermes was a prominent figure. He was often depicted as a young man with winged sandals and a winged cap, carrying a caduceus, a staff entwined with two snakes.
In ancient Greek texts, Hermes was portrayed as the son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. He was revered for his cunning, wit, and ability to move swiftly between the realms of the gods and mortals. The name Hermes was associated with qualities such as intelligence, eloquence, and resourcefulness.
One of the earliest known individuals named Hermes was a Greek writer and philosopher who lived in the 3rd century BC. He is known for his work "The Cynic Discourses", which provided insight into the teachings of the Cynic philosophical school.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Hermes. One of the most famous was Hermes Trismegistus, a legendary figure from ancient Egypt who was believed to be the founder of occult knowledge and the author of the Hermetic texts, which influenced Western esoteric traditions.
In the Renaissance period, a German philosopher and scholar known as Hermes Trismegistus (c. 1488-1535) was influential in the study of alchemy and occult sciences. His real name was Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, but he adopted the name Hermes Trismegistus to align himself with the ancient wisdom associated with the legendary figure.
Another notable individual named Hermes was Hermes Phalerius (c. 355-285 BC), an Athenian orator, statesman, and philosopher who served as the head of the Library of Alexandria in ancient Egypt.
In the modern era, the name Hermes has been used by individuals such as Hermes Pan (1859-1923), a Greek poet and scholar who played a significant role in the Greek literary renaissance of the 19th century.
While the name Hermes has its roots in ancient Greek mythology and culture, it has transcended time and geographical boundaries, appearing in various cultures and contexts throughout history, reflecting the enduring legacy of the messenger god and the qualities associated with his name.
People
Hermes + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hermes 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
Hermes: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hermes?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 638 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hermes 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 537,233 US residents.
Is Hermes a common name?
We classify Hermes as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 665 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hermes most popular?
The single biggest year for Hermes was 2021, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hermes is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Hermes a male name?
Yes, 99.2% of people registered as Hermes 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.