Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Hermione

Hermione is an ancient Greek female name (Ἑρμιόνη), and in Greek mythology she was the only daughter of King Menelaus of Sparta and the very beautiful Helen of Troy. Homer describes her this way in The Odyssey: “"… but the gods gave no more children to Helen / once she had borne her first and only child, the lovely / Hermione, with the beauty of Aphrodite the golden." She was obviously quite the prize, because Hermione is often depicted in one of those ancient Greek love triangles. Apparently her father had promised her to Pyrrhus (son of Achilles) during the Trojan War. But Orestes (son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra) claimed her as his own bride-to-be (apparently before the Trojan Way Hermione’s grandfather had betrothed her to Orestes). A deadly battle over the girl ensued and Pyrrhus was eventually slain. The name Hermione is derived from Hermes, the ancient Greek messenger god. Hermes’ etymology is up for debate, but there are three common theories: either it’s derived from the Greek “hermeneus” meaning “the interpreter” (given Hermes’ role as a messenger or interpreter between the divine and mortal worlds). Or it may come from “herma” which is a pile of stones or a manmade shrine (a cairn), usually erected along roadsides (Hermes was also the god of travelers). Even the ancient Greek philosopher Plato had a theory: that Hermes comes from “eirein” meaning “the power of speech” (since he was also the god of orators). In any case, there are strong arguments behind each of these possible etymologies. The name Hermione also has some Shakespearean cred. She is the name of King Leontes’ beautiful and pregnant wife in “The Winter’s Tale” (1610) whom he condemns to death for his (erroneous) belief that she has been unfaithful to him. Not to mention that Hermione is a central character in the Harry Potter books. Finally, Hermione is also the name of a little known saint from the 2nd century (so she also has some Christian cred). This name is used with moderate frequency in England, although we cannot find her on the naming charts of other English-speaking nations.

All About the Baby Name – Hermione

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME HERMIONE

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 GIRL NAME HERMIONE

Considering just how mega-popular the Harry Potter books and films have been in the United States, we were not just a little bit surprised that Hermione has never achieved Top 1000 status in America. Perhaps this ancient Greek gal is just a little too exotic for the average American parent (the pronunciation is also a bit complicated for some). To give you some perspective, only 50 baby girls were named Hermione in 2012. So you’re not likely to meet a Hermione on the United States playgrounds anytime soon.

Quick Facts

ON HERMIONE

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

4

RANKING POPULARITY:

N/A

PRONUNCIATION:

her-MIE-ə-nee

SIMPLE MEANING:

The interpreter

Characteristics

OF HERMIONE

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Hermione

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME HERMIONE

Hermione is the beautiful and virtuous Queen of Sicily in William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, The Winter’s Tale, published in 1623. As is so often the case with beautiful and virtuous Shakespearean ladies, they happen to be married to insanely jealous husbands – no exception here with King Leontes. With no evidence to go on, Leontes accuses Hermione of adultery, a ridiculous charge which she calmly and rightly denies. Leontes has Hermione thrown into jail, where she gives birth to a daughter. When told of her son Mamillius’ death, however, Hermione dies of a broken heart. Oops – King Leontes now sees the light and spends the next sixteen years repenting his ways. With all odds against it, this play manages a happy ending, with just a teeny stretch of the imagination – that a statue erected to honor Hermione comes to life. Whatever it takes – King and Queen are reunited and long-lost daughter is restored. Only loser appears to be Mamillius.

In Greek mythology, Hermione is the only child of Menelaus, the Spartan king, and Helen of Troy and she is grand-daughter to Leda (of Zeus/Swan fame). This is some pretty heavy DNA to live up to, and our Hermione doesn’t quite make the grade. There is some dispute among the ancient story-tellers as to who was promised to whom and who married whom and when and why – suffice it to say that Hermione married Pyrrhus because her father promised her to him during the Trojan War. However, she had been promised by her grandfather to Orestes, her cousin, before the war. Somehow or other, she marries both of them, tries to murder Pyrrhus’ concubine, Andromache, has one son, Tisamenus, by Orestes, and fades from memory. Which is no mean trick, with a resume like that!

Hermione is the spirited young girl of the famous and beloved Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowland, making her debut in the first novel, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, published in 1997. Hermione is a scholarly little girl, a fellow student at Hogwarts with Harry and Ron, to whom efficiency and dependability are second nature. Well, she’s also a rather insufferable little know-it-all who goes about memorizing textbooks and outshining her classmates. We all know what’s beneath such a veneer – right – insecurity. Hermione has it in spades, but her heartfelt love for her friends, Harry and Ron, and her own inherent goodness, further her developing character and endear her to us over the years. Young English actress Emma Watson plays her to a tee in the movie series.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME HERMIONE

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Hermione


Popular Songs

ON HERMIONE

Letter to Hermione
a song by David Bowie

Famous People

NAMED HERMIONE

Hermione Baddeley (English actress)
Hermione Gingold (English actress)
Hermione Norris (English actress)

Children of Famous People

NAMED HERMIONE

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

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME HERMIONE

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