boys' name ★ peaked 2005

Hector

Meaning en (English) Gender Boy Rank 2025 #409 Trend ↓ Falling 10%

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Rank 2025
#409
among boys · ↓30 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
779
named Hector · -10% vs 2024
How common
1 in 2,193
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2005
2,458 babies
All-time total
109,209
#296 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Hector popularity over time

109,209 babies have been named Hector since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.380.751.131.518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 95 95 10 – #453
1890s – 103 103 10 +8% #509
1900s – 125 125 13 +21% #548
1910s – 694 694 69 +455% #500
1920s – 1,481 1,481 148 +113% #426
1930s 5 1,794 1,799 180 +21% #387
1940s – 2,825 2,825 283 +57% #313
1950s 22 7,101 7,123 712 +152% #247
1960s 60 9,604 9,664 966 +36% #215
1970s 123 12,130 12,253 1,225 +27% #167
1980s 149 15,108 15,257 1,526 +25% #167
1990s 105 19,493 19,598 1,960 +28% #156
2000s 17 20,880 20,897 2,090 +7% #167
2010s – 12,137 12,137 1,214 -42% #226
2020s (to 2025) – 5,158 5,158 860 -29% #355

Where Hector is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 764 0.45 #423
2027 752 0.44 #428
2028 742 0.43 #432
2029 733 0.43 #434
2030 726 0.42 #437

Where Hector is most popular

Boys named Hector per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.498 per 1,000. Strongest in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Hector born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Arizona 219 1.34 +169%
New Mexico 42 1.27 +156%
Texas 1,111 1.26 +153%
California 947 1.04 +108%
Nevada 45 0.789 +58%
Colorado 76 0.589 +18%
Maryland 69 0.579 +16%
Connecticut 36 0.532 +7%
Florida 247 0.522 +5%
Washington 85 0.520 ≈ national
Illinois 128 0.501 ≈ national
Oregon 38 0.501 ≈ national
North Carolina 125 0.490 ≈ national
Kansas 32 0.467 -6%
Georgia 114 0.450 -10%
Oklahoma 36 0.407 -18%
Massachusetts 51 0.371 -26%
Rhode Island 6 0.368 -26%
Tennessee 65 0.360 -28%
Virginia 67 0.353 -29%
Alabama 38 0.348 -30%
Indiana 55 0.343 -31%
New Jersey 67 0.333 -33%
New York 132 0.305 -39%
Nebraska 13 0.299 -40%
Utah 28 0.293 -41%
Idaho 12 0.293 -41%
South Carolina 28 0.271 -46%
Kentucky 27 0.269 -46%
Minnesota 33 0.269 -46%
Louisiana 27 0.264 -47%
Pennsylvania 57 0.215 -57%
Arkansas 13 0.205 -59%
Wisconsin 21 0.177 -64%
Ohio 42 0.158 -68%
Michigan 29 0.142 -72%
Iowa 6 0.087 -83%
Missouri 11 0.079 -84%
Alaska – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Maine – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
West Virginia – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Hector

Hector is moderately common for boys in the United States, ranked #409 in 2025 with 779 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 109,209 American babies have been named Hector. Its peak came in 2005, when 2,458 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Hector stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Hector?

The median living Hector is about 31 years old; half are between 19 and 47. An estimated 98 thousand people named Hector are alive in the United States today.

median 31 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Hector year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 779 #409
2024 – – 864 #379
2023 – – 831 #385
2022 – – 927 #355
2021 – – 901 #361
2020 – – 856 #365
2019 – – 985 #341
2018 – – 1,012 #331
2017 – – 1,074 #318
2016 – – 1,100 #319
2015 – – 1,194 #303
2014 – – 1,214 #292
2013 – – 1,257 #277
2012 – – 1,325 #267
2011 – – 1,414 #248
2010 – – 1,562 #226
2009 – – 1,845 #204
2008 7 #14,384 2,179 #182
2007 – – 2,243 #183
2006 – – 2,327 #175
2005 – – 2,458 #167
2004 5 #17,073 2,004 #192
2003 – – 1,998 #189
2002 – – 1,942 #195
2001 5 #16,251 1,905 #193
2000 – – 1,979 #185
1995 11 #7,706 1,877 #175
1990 12 #7,030 1,991 #156
1985 14 #5,157 1,492 #178
1980 21 #3,760 1,448 #169
1975 14 #4,428 1,245 #182
1970 11 #4,861 1,125 #220
1965 7 #5,480 967 #235
1960 – – 871 #271
1955 – – 800 #247
1950 – – 473 #315
1945 – – 258 #374
1940 – – 192 #422
1935 5 #4,490 175 #420
1930 – – 198 #420
1925 – – 138 #523
1920 – – 119 #573
1915 – – 108 #536
1910 – – 18 #718
1905 – – 12 #723
1900 – – 19 #568
1895 – – 7 #928
1890 – – 6 #937
1885 – – 9 #669
1880 – – 15 #473

Famous people named Hector

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Hector Berlioz Hector Berlioz French Romantic composer and conductor (1803–1869) 19th century
  2. 2 Hector Guimard Hector Guimard French architect and designer (1867–1942) 19th century
  3. 3 Hector Malot Hector Malot French writer (1830-1907) 19th century
  4. 4 Hector Boece Hector Boece Scottish philosopher and historian (1465–1536) Medieval
  5. 5 Hector Bianciotti Argentine-born French author 1930–2012 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Hector Hodler Hector Hodler Swiss Esperantist 1887–1920 · 19th century
  7. 7 Hector Dyer American sprinter 1910–1990 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Hector, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Hector?

The median living Hector is about 31 years old. Half of all living Hectors are between 19 and 47 years old.

How many people named Hector are alive today?

An estimated 98 thousand people named Hector are alive in the United States, based on 109,209 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Hector mean?

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How popular is the name Hector in 2025?

Hector ranked #409 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 779 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Hector?

109,209 babies have been named Hector in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Hector most popular?

Hector peaked in 2005, when 2,458 newborns received the name.

Is Hector a boy or girl name?

Hector is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Hector rising or falling?

Hector is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Hector become more popular?

Hector is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 726 boys named Hector in 2030, which would rank around #437. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Hector?

Well-known people named Hector include Hector Berlioz (composer), Hector Guimard (architect), Hector Malot (writer).

Names like Hector

Names that sound and feel close to Hector: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Hector with similar names → More names starting with H →