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Hector

Hector is a boy's name of Spanish origin meaning “to hold.” In 2024 it was given to 858 boys in the United States.

Hector at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
Spanish · French · Irish & Celtic · Greek
Meaning
“to hold”
Pronunciation
/ˈhɛktə/
Also spelled
Scottish

About the name Hector

Hector belongs to the Spanish and French tradition. Its meaning — “to hold” — is the sense carried by its Spanish roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page. It travels in a few spellings: Scottish.

In the United States, Hector first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #156 in 1990, and in 2024 858 babies received the name — 107,937 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

Hector in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#156 in 1990
Peak year
2005
Babies named Hector in 2024
858
Total since 1880
107,937

Spellings & short forms

Scottish

Similar names

More names from the Spanish shelf:

CarlosSpanishLuisSpanishAdrianSpanishAntonioSpanishJulianSpanishOliverSpanishSebastianSpanishMiguelSpanish

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Hector mean?

Hector means “to hold” in its Spanish roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is Hector a boy or girl name?

Hector is a boy name. In 2024, 858 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name Hector?

Hector comes from the Spanish, French, Irish & Celtic and Greek tradition. It is also spelled Scottish.

How popular is the name Hector?

Hector first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #156 in 1990, and 858 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce Hector?

Hector is pronounced /ˈhɛktə/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.