| Ladon | Hermes | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | dragon (mythological) | Messenger of the gods |
| Origin | greek | Greek |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | LAY-don | HER-meez |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1924 |
| Peak year | 2012 (29) | 2025 (37) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 37 |
| Trend | Declining | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Ladon | Hermes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 58 | 170 |
| 2010s | 158 | 119 |
| 2000s | 132 | 101 |
| 1990s | 142 | 104 |
| 1980s | 151 | 104 |
| 1970s | 206 | 40 |
| 1960s | 162 | 47 |
| 1950s | 112 | 6 |
| 1940s | 79 | 0 |
| 1930s | 60 | 0 |
| 1920s | 0 | 6 |
Greek Ladon, the serpent-dragon coiled around the tree of the golden apples of the Hesperides. Flag: a mythological dragon's NAME, not a literal 'dragon' word; its etymology is uncertain (one guess links it to a root 'to flow strongly', and Ladon is also the name of a river-god), so it is included as the name of a dragon.
Hermes is the swift Greek messenger god; the origin of his name is uncertain.
Hermes is more popular than Ladon today: about 37 US babies were given the name Hermes in 2025, compared with 0 named Ladon.
Ladon means dragon (mythological) (greek origin), while Hermes means Messenger of the gods (Greek origin).
In US records, Ladon first appears in 0 and Hermes in 1924, so Ladon has the longer recorded history.