Hermena
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "earthly" or "belonging to the earth".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Hermena. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Hermena today is around 70 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hermena births was 1924 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hermena. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Hermena is about 70 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Hermenas were born before 1966.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hermena. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1924
8 babies that year
Average age
70
years old
1969 SSA rank
#7,878
Tracked since 1888
Popularity
Hermena: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hermena from the 1880s through to the 1960s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 33 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1920s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hermena 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 Hermena during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Hermena
The name Hermena has its origins in the ancient Greek language. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "Hermes," which was the name of the messenger god in Greek mythology. Hermes was the patron of travelers, shepherds, and orators, and his name is thought to be related to the Greek word "herma," meaning a boundary marker or cairn.
In Greek mythology, Hermes was a trickster figure known for his cunning and wit. He was also the god of commerce, trade, and wealth, and was often depicted wearing winged sandals and carrying a caduceus, a staff entwined with two serpents.
The earliest known use of the name Hermena dates back to ancient Greece, where it was likely a feminine form of the name Hermes. It was not an uncommon name among Greek women, particularly those who lived in the classical period between the 5th and 4th centuries BCE.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hermena appears in the works of the Greek historian Herodotus, who lived in the 5th century BCE. In his work "The Histories," Herodotus mentions a woman named Hermena who was the daughter of a Persian noble.
Throughout the centuries, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Hermena. One of the most famous was Hermena of Ephesus, a Christian martyr who lived in the 2nd century CE. According to legend, Hermena was a young woman who refused to renounce her faith and was executed during the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Hadrian.
Another historical figure with the name Hermena was Hermena of Constantinople, a Byzantine noblewoman who lived in the 11th century CE. She was the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine IX Monomachos and is mentioned in several historical chronicles of the time.
In the 16th century, there was a Italian painter named Hermena Veneziana, who was active in Venice during the Renaissance. She was known for her portraits and religious paintings, although little is known about her personal life.
Another notable Hermena was Hermena Brockhaus (1776-1849), a German writer and educator who published several books on education and child-rearing. She was also a pioneer in the field of early childhood education and founded one of the first kindergartens in Germany.
Finally, there was Hermena Mena (1899-1976), a Mexican artist and sculptor who was part of the Mexican Renaissance movement in the early 20th century. She is best known for her monumental public sculptures and her portrayal of indigenous Mexican themes and subjects.
People
Hermena + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hermena 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
Hermena: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hermena?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hermena 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Hermena a common name?
We classify Hermena as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 64 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hermena most popular?
The single biggest year for Hermena was 1924, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hermena is about 70 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 Hermena in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hermena a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hermena in the SSA data are female. 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 Hermena still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hermena 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 Hermena 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 common is the name Hermena?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.