Hero
Boy name · #2205 in 2025 · Very rare
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: SSA.
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
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: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.