Boy name · Greek
Hector
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: holding fastHector is a boy's name that comes from Greek and means "holding fast". It is used in English, Scottish, French, Spanish and Greek.
- Meaning
- Holding fast
- Origin
- Greek
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #409 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Hector
As a boy's name, Hector comes from Greek and means "holding fast". It is used in English, Scottish, French, Spanish and Greek. In Spanish it is spelled Héctor.
In French, say ek-TOR. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Hector on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Hector on 7 lists.
“The noble Trojan prince of Homer's Iliad”
From Boy cat names, myth and legend names for boy cats
“Holding fast; Greek. Say ek-TOR”
From French boy names, french boy names that work in English
“Holding fast; Greek. The Trojan prince of the Iliad”
From Greek boy names, male Greek mythology names: heroes and kings
“Long used in the Highlands for the Gaelic name Eachann”
From Highland cattle names, scottish bull names for boys
“Greek for holding fast; used in Scotland for Eachann.”
From Scottish boy names, highland names in English spelling
“Holding fast; Greek. The Trojan hero of the Iliad. Say EK-tor”
From Spanish boy names, popular Spanish boy names in Spain (INE 2024)
“Holding fast; Greek, the greatest warrior of Troy”
From Strong boy names, boy names that mean warrior or fighter
How popular is Hector?
- US rank in 2025
- #409
- 779 babies, 456 per million boys
- Best rank
- #156 in 1990
- Most babies: 2,458 in 2005
- Babies since 1880
- At least 108,728
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 87 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 90 per million |
| 1900s | 92 per million |
| 1910s | 104 per million |
| 1920s | 134 per million |
| 1930s | 170 per million |
| 1940s | 190 per million |
| 1950s | 351 per million |
| 1960s | 499 per million |
| 1970s | 734 per million |
| 1980s | 818 per million |
| 1990s | 1,001 per million |
| 2000s | 1,046 per million |
| 2010s | 645 per million |
| 2020s | 498 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #319 | #318 | #331 | #341 | #365 | #361 | #355 | #385 | #379 | #409 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Hector
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- EttoreHolding fast (Greek, boy)
- HeitorHolding fast (Greek, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- DariaHolding firm the good (Persian, girl)
- DaryaHolding firm the good; also sea in Persian (Persian, girl)
- DariushHolding firm the good (Persian, boy)
- DariuszHolding firm the good (Persian, boy)
- DashaShort form of Darya, holding firm the good (Persian, girl)
Middle names for Hector
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Greek
- AlexanderDefender of men (Greek, boy)
- LucasMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- ChristianFollower of Christ (Greek, boy)
- LeonA lion (Greek, boy)
- TheoGift of God (Greek, boy)
- AlexisHelper, defender (Greek, boy)
- LucaMan from Lucania (Greek, boy)
- PeterRock, stone (Greek, boy)
- SebastianMan of sebaste, venerable (Greek, boy)
- AlexDefender, protector (Greek, unisex)
Hector: common questions
What does the name Hector mean?
Hector comes from Greek and means "holding fast".
Is Hector a boy or girl name?
Hector is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Hector come from?
Hector comes from Greek and means "holding fast". Today it is used in English, Scottish, French, Spanish and Greek.
How popular is the name Hector?
Hector ranked #409 in the US in 2025, with 779 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Hector?
Forms of Hector with the same meaning and origin include Ettore (Italian) and Heitor (Portuguese).
What middle names go with Hector?
Middle names that flow well with Hector include Beau, Dale, Dean, Ethan and Rex. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.