Hercules
Masculine · “glory of Hera”
Hercules is the Latin spelling of Herakles, and the Greek name means glory of Hera, which is one of the better jokes in mythology, since Hera spent the whole of his life trying to destroy him. The twelve labors were her doing, and the name he carried through them was hers.
How old is the name Hercules?
Hercules first appears in US birth records in 1908 — 117 years ago. The typical Hercules alive today was born around 1951, making them about 74 years old. About 700 people named Hercules are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Hercules most popular?
Hercules peaked in 1908, reaching #1217 nationally. Today it ranks #4857, 3,640 places below that high. See the whole 1908 chart.
Where it comes from
From Herakles to Hercules
The story of Hercules
Herakles was the most widely worshipped hero in the Greek world, with shrines from the Black Sea to Spain, and the Romans took him early and thoroughly, spelling him Hercules and giving him temples in the cattle market at Rome. His name stayed in European use through the Renaissance as a byword for strength, and it was given as a first name in Britain, Greece and the American South, where classical names were fashionable in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Greek families have kept Iraklis in continuous use.
Meaning
glory of Hera
Greek Hera, the goddess, joined to kleos, glory or renown. Ancient writers already found the combination pointed, since the goddess is his enemy throughout the stories; one tradition says the name was given precisely to appease her.
How the name formed
- Herakles
- Hercules
Related forms: Ηρακλής · Hércules · Ercole · Hercule · Hércules
Pronouncing Hercules
HUR-kyoo-leez
Three syllables, stress in front. Spanish and Greek both put the weight elsewhere, on the first and last syllables respectively, so the name sounds noticeably different in each language.
Nicknames for Hercules
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1908
- Most boys named
- 202330 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1217reached in 1908
- Change vs 2023
- −33.3%20 in 2025, from 30
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Hercules in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Ηρακλής in Greek — transliteration
- Hércules in Spanish — same name
- Ercole in Italian — same name
- Hercule in French — same name
- Hércules in Portuguese — same name
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Hawaii, Texas.
Herculess among us
people named Hercules are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 85,404 born in 2025 was named Hercules
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
Fashion outlook
Hercules sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Hercules beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Hercules in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The story arrives with the name and needs no explaining anywhere in the world.
- It has an unbroken documented history of nearly three thousand years.
- Herc works as a short form and is easy for other children.
- It is a byword for strength, which is a great deal to hand a small child.
- An animated film has attached itself firmly to the name for anyone under fifty.
- It is long and emphatic, and there is no quiet version of it.
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Hercules
Masculine · #4857 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Herculess are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 700 people named Hercules are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Hercules in 2025?
- Hercules ranks #4857 among US boy names in 2025, with 20 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Hercules?
- About 1 in every 85,404 US boys born in 2025 was named Hercules — 20 in all.
- Will my child share the name Hercules with classmates?
- Hercules will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Hercules
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Carlyle#4857 · Russ#4857 · Marcial#4857 · Lauro#4857 · Marin#4857 · Gil#4857 · Calogero#4857 · Aloysius#4857
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Hercules? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Hercules and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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