| Hermes | Zebedee | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Messenger of the gods | Yahweh has bestowed |
| Origin | Greek | greek |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | HER-meez | ZEB-ə-dee |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1924 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2025 (37) | 2024 (38) |
| In 2025 | 37 | 0 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Hermes | Zebedee |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 170 | 135 |
| 2010s | 119 | 91 |
| 2000s | 101 | 87 |
| 1990s | 104 | 91 |
| 1980s | 104 | 97 |
| 1970s | 40 | 78 |
| 1960s | 47 | 103 |
| 1950s | 6 | 173 |
| 1940s | 0 | 94 |
| 1930s | 0 | 108 |
| 1920s | 6 | 127 |
| 1910s | 0 | 85 |
| 1900s | 0 | 7 |
Hermes is the swift Greek messenger god; the origin of his name is uncertain.
Greek New Testament form (Zebedaios) of the Hebrew Zebadiah, from zabad 'to bestow/give' + yah (Yahweh) — 'Yahweh has bestowed'. Borne by the father of the apostles James and John.
Hermes is more popular than Zebedee today: about 37 US babies were given the name Hermes in 2025, compared with 0 named Zebedee.
Hermes means Messenger of the gods (Greek origin), while Zebedee means Yahweh has bestowed (greek origin).
In US records, Hermes first appears in 1924 and Zebedee in 0, so Zebedee has the longer recorded history.