Hero
Boy name · #2205 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Hero? In official American birth records, Hero has been tracked continuously since 2004, giving it 21 years of documented American history.
Hero is currently the #2205 boy name in the United States — 65 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2276, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 27,692 boys born in 2025 was named Hero.
Babies named Hero per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 21-year story
Hero first appears in the Social Security records in 2004, when 5 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2021, when 70 boys were named Hero — good for #2079 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Hero against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Hero in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Hero is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Hero will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Hero is most common
State-level data for Hero is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Hero
Statistically, parents drawn to Hero tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Aero, Dinero, Hiro, Huck, and Kiro.
AeroDineroHiroHuckKiroMiroEchoHonor
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Hero | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 65 | #2183 |
| 2024 | 62 | #2288 |
| 2023 | 67 | #2147 |
| 2022 | 69 | #2136 |
| 2021 | 70 | #2079 |
| 2020 | 58 | #2323 |
| 2019 | 49 | #2626 |
| 2018 | 48 | #2617 |
| 2017 | 53 | #2417 |
| 2016 | 51 | #2477 |
| 2015 | 58 | #2276 |
| 2014 | 16 | #5485 |
| 2013 | 21 | #4463 |
| 2012 | 19 | #4862 |
| 2011 | 15 | #5675 |
| 2010 | 22 | #4366 |
| 2009 | 14 | #6095 |
| 2008 | 7 | #9871 |
| 2007 | 20 | #4640 |
| 2006 | 7 | #9585 |
| 2005 | 10 | #7096 |
| 2004 | 5 | #11356 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Hero?
In official American birth records, the name Hero first appeared in 2004 (over 21 years ago), when 5 newborn boys received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 21 years.
Is Hero a popular boy name?
Hero ranked #2205 among boys in 2025 with 65 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2276.
When was the name Hero most popular?
Hero peaked in 2021, when 70 American boys received the name (ranked #2079 that year). Since 2021 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Hero?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 27,692 newborn American boys was named Hero. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.