Given name & surname
Hermes
“(new) declaration”·“border crosser”
Hermes is a masculine given name from Ancient Greek. It is used in Portuguese and Latin.
Original GreekΧερμές
Meaning & origin
What it means
As a biblical name, Hermes means “(new) declaration” or “border crosser.”
From biblical name research
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Greek, although the derivation remains uncertain.
How it developed
In Latin usage, Hermes developed from Ἑρμῆς.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1924. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Hermes appears in Romans 16:14, Acts 14:12, Matthew 6:10 and 1 other passage.
- Romans 16:14
- Acts 14:12
- Matthew 6:10
- Hebrews 8:5
From biblical name research
Hermes through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 702
- 697 boys · 5 girls
- Most popular year
- 2025
- 37 babies
- 2025
- 37
- #3,209 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +105%
- Rising fast
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 37 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,209 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 120.3% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (9). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,852 as a first name in 2020; 3,904 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Hermes’s family of names
Hermes has a feminine form in Hermia. Hermes has a related form in Hermilo. Hermes has a related form in Hermis.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Hermannvariant · German
- Hermilovariant
- Herrmannvariant · German
- Hermezvariant
- Hermitevariant
- Hermysvariant
- Hermisvariant
- Hermosvariant
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 4
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Hermes
- Hermes da FonsecaPresident of Brazil (1855-1923)
- Hermes RamírezCuban sprinter (1948–2024)
- Hermes PanAmerican dancer, choreographer (1909-1990)
- Saint Hermes2nd-century Greek saint100–120
- Hermas of Philippopolisone of the Seventy Disciples
- HermesBrazilian footballerborn 1974
- Hermes DesioArgentine footballerborn 1970
- Hermes BinnerArgentine physician and politician (1943–2020)
- Hermes LimaBrazilian politician, jurist, journalist, professor and essayist, Prime Minister and Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (1902–1978)
Characters named Hermes: Hermes Conrad (Futurama).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Hermes, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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Achilles
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