2000
#16,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,601
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Hercules
Derived from the Greek mythological hero, indicating strength, courage, or endurance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,151 Americans carry the last name Hercules. That puts it at #11,045 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 108,776 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hercules surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Hercules with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 108,776
Census rank
#11,045
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,748 bearers of the surname Hercules in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11045th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hercules, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 56.3%. The next largest groups are White (21.0%) and Black (19.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hercules
The surname Hercules is of Greek origin, derived from the name of the legendary Greek hero and demigod, Heracles. The name Heracles itself is believed to have its roots in the ancient Greek word 'Hera', which means 'glory of Hera', referring to the goddess Hera.
The surname Hercules first appeared in written records during the Middle Ages, particularly in regions with strong Greek influence, such as parts of Italy and Southern Europe. It is likely that the name was adopted by individuals or families who claimed descent from or admired the mythological figure of Heracles, also known as Hercules in Roman mythology.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Hercules can be found in the chronicles of the city of Naples, Italy, dating back to the 13th century. In these records, a nobleman named Goffredo Hercules is mentioned as a prominent figure in the city's political affairs.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Hercules Grimaldi, born in 1522 in Genoa, Italy. He was a renowned diplomat and military commander who served under the King of Spain during the 16th century.
In England, the surname Hercules can be traced back to the 17th century, with records showing a family of that name residing in the county of Kent. One of the earliest documented individuals was Sir Thomas Hercules (1625-1693), a prominent landowner and member of the English gentry.
During the Renaissance period, the name Hercules gained popularity across Europe, particularly among intellectuals and artists who drew inspiration from classical Greek and Roman mythology. This may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in various regions.
Other notable individuals bearing the surname Hercules include the 18th-century Italian painter Hercules Bianchi (1724-1806), known for his religious artworks, and the French mathematician and astronomer Hercules Joseph Gallet (1790-1853), who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hercules
Among Census respondents with the surname Hercules, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 56.3%. The next largest groups are White (21.0%) and Black (19.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hercules bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Hercules surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino56.3% · 1,548
- White21.0% · 578
- Black or African American19.0% · 523
- Two or more races2.7% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 24
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hercules
Hercules appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,637
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,449
+848 bearers (+53.0%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 3,888 places
2020
#11,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,748
+299 bearers (+12.2%)
Per 100,000 0.92
Rank movement Up 1,592 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,525 | 1,601 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,637 | 2,449 | 0.83 | +848 bearers (+53.0%) | Up 3,888 places |
| 2020 | #11,045 | 2,748 | 0.92 | +299 bearers (+12.2%) | Up 1,592 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Hercules surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,637 | #11,045 | 12.6% |
| Count | 2,449 | 2,748 | 12.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.92 | 10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hercules bearers went from 2,449 to 2,748 (+12.2% change). The surname moved up 1,592 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,637 to #11,045.
FAQ
Hercules surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hercules?
Name Census estimates that about 3,151 living Americans carry the surname Hercules. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 108,776 residents.
How common is Hercules?
Hercules ranks #11,045 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.92 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,748 people with the surname Hercules. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,151), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.92 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.92 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hercules.
Has Hercules become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hercules went from 2,449 recorded bearers to 2,748. That is an increase of 299 (+12.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,637 to #11,045.
What does the Census say about the background of Hercules?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hercules, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 56.3%. The next largest groups are White (21.0%) and Black (19.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hercules in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.3% (1,548 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hercules appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (56.3%), White (21.0%), Black (19.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Hercules (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Hercules mean?
Derived from the Greek mythological hero, indicating strength, courage, or endurance. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Hercules (0.92 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Hercules?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Hercules at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.