Hero is the English word used as a name, from the Greek heros, which meant a "protector" or "defender" and later a demigod. In Greek myth and in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing Hero is actually a woman's name, but American parents mostly choose it for boys alongside bold word names like Legend and Maverick. Hero peaked at number 2085 in 2021 and ranks 2195 in 2025 with 65 boys given the name.