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Hero Family History

Hero Name Meaning

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’. 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’.

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


Similar surnames: Herod, Heron, Fero, Gero, Zero, Shero, Pero, Herd, Hoo, Zaro

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Black & white image of a young woman scientist

Where is the Hero family from?

You can see how Hero families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Hero family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Hero families were found in USA in 1920. In 1911 there were 2 Hero families living in British Columbia. This was about 50% of all the recorded Hero's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Hero families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Hero surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Hero ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Seamstress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Hero. 22% of Hero men worked as a Laborer and 29% of Hero women worked as a Seamstress. Some less common occupations for Americans named Hero were Machinist and Housewife. .

View Census Data for Hero | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    22%
  • Salesman
    15%
  • Farmer
    12%
  • Machinist
    10%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Seamstress
    29%
  • Stenographer
    15%
  • Bookkeeper
    15%
  • Housewife
    15%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Hero family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Hero. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Hero census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Hero

Passenger Lists

There are 1,000 immigration records available for the last name Hero. 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 Hero immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 5,000 military records available for the last name Hero. For the veterans among your Hero ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Hero military records

You've only scratched the surface of Hero family history

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What is the average Hero lifespan?

Between 1957 and 2004, in the United States, Hero life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1957, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Hero in 1957 was 49, and 79 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Hero

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