Explore the Family Name Hero
The meaning of Hero
1. Probably an Americanized form of a Greek surname sounding something like the English word ‘hero’, for example Irodotou ‘son of Herodotus’, or Chiras ‘son of the widow’. 2. Norwegian (Herø): habitational name from the farm name Herø, older spelling of Herøy, a compound of Old Norse herr ‘army, large gathering’ and ey ‘island’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Hero in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Hero has grown in popularity over the years. In 2000, it ranked 77,222 but by 2010 it had jumped to 60,790, indicating a 21.28 percent increase. The count of individuals with this surname also experienced growth from 231 in 2000 to 331 in 2010, which is an impressive rise of 43.29 percent. Consequently, the proportion of the Hero surname per 100,000 people increased by 22.22 percent between 2000 and 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #77,222 | #60,790 | 21.28% |
| Count | 231 | 331 | 43.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.09 | 0.11 | 22.22% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Hero
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows some changes for those bearing the Hero surname. In 2000, 3.03 percent identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, however, this group was not represented in 2010. The percentage of people identifying as two or more races appeared in 2010 at 4.83 percent. Most of the individuals with the Hero last name identify as White, though there was a slight decrease from 79.65 percent in 2000 to 77.34 percent in 2010. Hispanic representation also declined from 9.96 percent in 2000 to 6.95 percent in 2010, a change of -30.22 percent. Meanwhile, the percentage of people identifying as Black increased slightly from 4.76 percent in 2000 to 5.44 percent in 2010. The American Indian and Alaskan Native category remained at zero for both years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 79.65% | 77.34% | -2.9% |
| Hispanic | 9.96% | 6.95% | -30.22% |
| Black | 4.76% | 5.44% | 14.29% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 4.83% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.03% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |