Fun Facts About the Name Hermes
- 702 babies named Hermes: U.S. records list 702 babies given the name Hermes from 1880 through 2025. Even 5 girls received the name Hermes - about 1 girl for every 139 boys.
What Does the Name Hermes Mean?
Hermes is the Greek name of the god of travelers, trade, boundaries, and communication. Its meaning is uncertain. The name is attested in ancient Greek as Ἑρμῆς (Hermēs), with epic Ἑρμείας (Hermeias) and Doric Ἑρμᾶς (Hermās). Ancient writers connected the name with ἕρμα (herma), a word for a prop, support, or heap of stones used as a boundary marker, because Hermes was associated with roads, boundaries, and travelers. That connection may be a traditional etymology rather than the name's actual origin. Some modern scholars treat Hermes as a pre-Greek name that cannot be securely explained from ordinary Greek vocabulary. The familiar glosses "messenger" and "interpreter" describe the god's roles; ancient explanations also linked the name to ἑρμηνεύς (hermēneus), "interpreter," and to speech, but these are interpretive associations rather than a settled literal meaning.
Hermes Name History & Origins
The earliest likely attestation of the name is the Mycenaean Greek form e-ma-a2 in Linear B records, generally understood as an early form of Hermes. In later Greek, the name appears in epic as Ἑρμείας (Hermeias) and in Attic and Ionic as Ἑρμῆς (Hermēs); Doric Greek has Ἑρμᾶς (Hermās). The name belongs to the god who served as messenger of Zeus, guide of souls to the underworld, and patron of travelers, merchants, thieves, and heralds. The Homeric Hymn to Hermes tells how he was born to Zeus and Maia, stole Apollo's cattle, and invented the lyre, but that is a literary myth rather than a record of the name's origin.
In the Greek-speaking world, Hermes was also used as a personal name. The New Testament (Acts 14:12) records that the people of Lystra called Paul "Hermes" because he was the chief speaker. The related name Hermas, a Doric form, was borne by the author of the early Christian text The Shepherd of Hermas. Under Roman influence, Hermes was identified with the Latin god Mercury, and the Greek name remained in use in the eastern Mediterranean. In Hellenistic Egypt, Greek Hermes was fused with the Egyptian god Thoth as Hermes Trismegistus, "Hermes the Thrice-Great," a figure linked to Hermetic writings on astrology, alchemy, and philosophy. It is also used as a given name in modern times, as in the case of the American choreographer Hermes Pan (1909 - 1990).
How Popular is the Name Hermes?
Hermes has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2025. Its best rank was #2,607 in 1969.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | #16,437 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,209 | 37 | 0.0022% |
| 2024 | #3,908 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2023 | #3,744 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 2022 | #4,026 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2021 | #3,679 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2020 | #5,106 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2019 | #4,862 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2018 | #8,407 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2017 | #6,445 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2016 | #8,387 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2015 | #6,461 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #9,089 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2013 | #5,486 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2012 | #6,103 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2011 | #9,062 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #8,373 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #6,962 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2008 | #7,902 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2007 | #9,206 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2006 | #5,164 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #6,277 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2003 | #6,909 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #6,243 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #6,634 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2000 | #6,061 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1999 | #6,725 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #4,981 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #6,841 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1996 | #4,707 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #4,625 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1994 | #6,606 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #5,506 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1992 | #6,345 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1991 | #3,889 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #6,703 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1989 | #5,850 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #4,007 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1987 | #3,404 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1986 | #6,235 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1985 | #3,671 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1984 | #4,034 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #3,980 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1982 | #2,753 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1980 | #3,006 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1978 | #4,727 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #5,189 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1975 | #4,510 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #3,979 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1973 | #5,396 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1970 | #4,008 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1969 | #2,607 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1968 | #3,211 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1965 | #4,143 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1964 | #2,736 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #3,802 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #3,805 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #3,669 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1924 | #4,091 | 6 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Hermes Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You attract success and money. You are a lover of nature and do not need others for your happiness. You are self sufficient. You strive for material success and power and have business sense. You possess strong organizational abilities, can be a good manager, and executive by nature. You are capable of great achievement in business and finance. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Hermes's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Hermes's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.