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Hector Family History

Hector Name Meaning

English German French Haitian Swedish and Dutch: from the personal name Hector the name of the Trojan hero in Homer's Iliad perhaps ‘the restrainer’ an agent derivative of Greek echein ‘to restrain’. This was brought to England via French. According to medieval legend Britain derived its name from being founded by Brutus a Trojan exile and Hector was thus occasionally chosen as a personal name. In medieval Germany this was a fairly popular personal name among the nobility derived from classical literature. Scottish: from the personal name Hector adopted for the Gaelic personal name Eachann (earlier Eachdonn composed of the elements each ‘horse’ + donn ‘brown’). This was confused from an early date with the Scandinavian name Haakon.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Hoctor, Nestor, Elton, Victor, Rector, Doctor, Factor, Heuton, Yelton

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Where is the Hector family from?

You can see how Hector families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hector family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hector families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 39 Hector families living in Ontario. This was about 24% of all the recorded Hector's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Hector families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hector surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Hector

What Hector family records will you find?

Census Records
There are 31,000 census records available for the last name Hector. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hector census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.
Search Canadian census records for Hector
Passenger Lists
There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Hector. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.
View all Hector immigration records
Draft Cards
There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Hector. For the veterans among your Hector ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.
View all Hector military records

Census Records

There are 31,000 census records available for the last name Hector. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hector census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Hector

Passenger Lists

There are 5,000 immigration records available for the last name Hector. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Hector immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 6,000 military records available for the last name Hector. For the veterans among your Hector ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hector military records

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What is the average Hector lifespan?

Between 1946 and 2004, in the United States, Hector life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1953, and highest in 1963. The average life expectancy for Hector in 1946 was 36, and 70 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hector

Browse profiles of historical people with the Hector last name

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