Hades
The ancient Greek name for the god of the underworld.
Name Census estimates that about 221 living Americans carry the first name Hades. It is a predominantly male name (97.8% of registrations). The average person named Hades today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hades births was 2020 (35 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hades. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Hades with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
221
~ 1 in 1,550,925 Americans
Peak year
2020
35 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,715
Tracked since 2006
Gender
Gender distribution for Hades
Hades leans heavily male at 97.8% of total registrations, but 5 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Hades as a male name
- Ranked #3,715 in 2024
- 30 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (35 births)
Hades as a female name
- Ranked #16,022 in 2023
- 5 female births in 2023
- Peak: 2023 (5 births)
Popularity
Hades: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hades from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 150 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hades by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hades during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Hades' live
Origin
Meaning and history of Hades
The name Hades originates from ancient Greek mythology and refers to the god of the underworld. It is derived from the Greek word "Aidēs," which means "the unseen" or "the invisible one." The name likely emerged from ancient Greek religious beliefs and practices that date back to the 8th century BCE or earlier.
Hades was one of the most prominent deities in Greek mythology, ruling over the realm of the dead alongside his brothers Zeus and Poseidon, who governed the heavens and the sea, respectively. The name appears frequently in ancient Greek literature, including Homer's epics the Iliad and the Odyssey, as well as in the works of poets like Hesiod and Ovid.
One of the earliest known individuals named Hades was a character in Greek mythology itself – the god of the underworld. However, there are no historical records of individuals bearing this name in ancient Greece, as it was primarily used as a reference to the deity rather than as a personal name.
Throughout history, the name Hades has been used sparingly, likely due to its association with death and the underworld. One notable figure was Hades the Sophist, a Greek philosopher and rhetorician who lived in the 2nd century CE. He was known for his writings on philosophical and rhetorical topics.
In the 16th century, the Italian Renaissance philosopher Hades Camillus (1508-1587) used the name, likely inspired by the classical Greek mythology. He was known for his work on natural philosophy and his commentary on Aristotle's writings.
The name Hades also appeared in literary works, such as the 1818 novel "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, where it was used as a metaphor for the underworld and the unknown realm of the dead.
Another individual named Hades was the Greek poet and playwright Hades Sikelianos (1884-1951), who was known for his works that drew inspiration from ancient Greek mythology and culture.
While the name Hades has been used throughout history, it has remained relatively rare, likely due to its strong association with the god of the underworld and the realm of the dead in Greek mythology.
People
Hades + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hades as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hades: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hades?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 221 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hades going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,550,925 US residents.
Is Hades a common name?
We classify Hades as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 223 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hades most popular?
The single biggest year for Hades was 2020, when 35 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hades is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hades in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hades a male name?
Yes, 97.8% of people registered as Hades in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Hades still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hades in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hades can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Hades as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Hades on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.