Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Hector

Hector comes from the Greek personal name Hektōr and was borne by a great Trojan warrior from Greek mythology and Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad. Hector was the son of Priam, King of Troy, and the brother of Paris (the one who stole the lovely Helen from the King of Sparta thus launching the 10 year Trojan War). Hector was revered for both his courage and his honorable nature. He fought with a sense of responsibility to his city and his family. He was admired by the Greeks, the Trojans and the meddling gods themselves. During this ancient war (which took place in 12th century B.C.), Hector fought valiantly and killed many prominent Greek warriors including Achilles dear comrade-in-arms Petrocles. Alas, however, the fall of Troy was predestined by the gods and the Greeks would ultimately triumph. Hector was finally killed by Achilles who brutally dragged his body alongside his chariot around Troy for nine days. Not exactly a graceful winner; we agree. The gods intervened so Hector’s body was kept in-tact, returned to his father the king, and given a proper burial. As we all know, the Greeks cleverly built a hollowed-out wooden horse and hid inside. Thinking the Greeks had fled, the Trojans unwittingly rolled the horse inside their city gates (despite the warnings of Cassandra). At nightfall, the Greeks exited the horse and defeated the Trojans. In the end, however, Hector was remembered as one of the greatest warriors of this epic war. In fact, at one point when his fellow Trojans were debating the favorability of certain omens, Hector retorts: "One omen is best: defending the fatherland" –the motto of the Greek Armed Forces to this day. In Greek, Héktōr is a derivative of the verb “ékhein” which means ‘to hold fast’ and the mighty warrior Hector indeed ‘held fast’ to the end. Despite knowing his ultimate destiny, Hector remained in battle, fighting courageously and skillfully. The name was occasionally used in medieval times probably because of the noble character of this classical hero. Today, Héctor is particularly popular in Spain where it’s currently the 29th most common male name (2009).

All About the Baby Name – Hector

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME HECTOR

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME HECTOR

The name Héctor is primarily used among the Hispanic/Latino Americans in the United States. The name has been in use since the turn of the 20th century, and it has slowly gained ground as the decades progressed (and as the Latino population continues to grow). The name’s peak popularity came in the early 1990s when it hovered around the 150 mark. Today the name has slipped a little in usage and fell off the Top 200 list of most commonly used boy names in 2009. We’re surprised that Hector is not more universally bestowed upon little boys given the legendary Greek warrior and namesake. Hopefully, like the name’s etymology, we’d like to see it “hold fast” to the charts and stick around for many decades to come. Hector is a cool name, period.

Quick Facts

ON HECTOR

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Greek

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

277

PRONUNCIATION:

HEK-tər

SIMPLE MEANING:

Holding fast, one who stands fast

Characteristics

OF HECTOR

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Hector

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME HECTOR

Hector is the mythological hero of Homer’s Greek epic, The Iliad. He is the son of King Priam of Troy and the great warrior of the Trojan War. And he is one stand-up guy! Heroic and human by halves, he stands as an icon to the type of man we would all like to see all the time – so we would name all boy children “Hector”, except for the fact that it would cause mass confusion. Still, it would also cause mass reasonableness, so it might almost be worth it! Hector is the finest warrior of the Trojans, but he is loathe to go to war. What a guy! He has to, though, in order to amend the screw-up to which his woman-loving brother, Paris, has subjected the Trojan people. Hector is not a god – he is mortal, and he behaves as one. He has doubts, he fears, he is an angry man, he grieves, he loves his wife and child and hates to leave them, but he is an upstanding citizen with a duty to perform. He overcomes his cowardice, the temptations of the beauteous Helen, and the false honors of warfare to rise above it all as a savior of men, a demi-god, whose main goals are honor and patriotism. It is in the tragic tradition of mankind’s legacy that the noble Hector falls fatal prey to the rage of Achilles, a man whose own destiny drives him to extremes. As we all know, Achilles’ heel was his point of vulnerability – yes, he kills Hector, but Achilles will always be the “heel”, while Hector will always be the “hero”. To this day, Hector is honored in his fatherland: the motto of the Greek Armed Forces is that of Hector’s avowal” “One omen is best: defending the fatherland”.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME HECTOR

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Hector


Popular Songs

ON HECTOR

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Hector


Famous People

NAMED HECTOR

Héctor Guerrero (wrestler)
Héctor Camacho (boxer)
Héctor Cruz (baseball player)
Héctor Trujillo (former president of Dominican Republic)
Héctor García Molina (computer scientist)
Hector de Maris (knight of the Round Table)
Héctor Almonte (baseball player)
Hector Marinaro (indoor soccer player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED HECTOR

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Hector

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME HECTOR

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Hector