“who holds fast”
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A given name in Spanish and Catalan
Language contexts for this entry: Spanish, Catalan
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01 / Meaning & origin
Hèctor is a masculine given name documented in Spanish and Catalan.
No etymology is recorded in our sources for this spelling yet. The record exists because the name is documented in use; a meaning will be shown only once a cited source supports it.
02 / Across borders
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03 / By the numbers
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04 / Through time
Passages quoted verbatim from public-domain reference works. They reflect the scholarship of their time, not current consensus, and may use obsolete spellings.
Hector— “defender”
Italy, where the descent from the Trojans was early credited and not, perhaps, impossible, is the only country where his name has been genuinely imitated, under the form of Ettore. The Hector of Norway is but an imitation of the old Norse Hagtar (hawk of Thor), and the very frequent Hector of Scotland is the travestie of the Gaelic Eachan (a horseman). In like manner the Gaelic Aonghas (excellent valour) and the Welsh Einiawn (the just), are both translated into Æneas; indeed…
Italy, where the descent from the Trojans was early credited and not, perhaps, impossible, is the only country where his name has been genuinely imitated, under the form of Ettore. The Hector of Norway is but an imitation of the old Norse Hagtar (hawk of Thor), and the very frequent Hector of Scotland is the travestie of the Gaelic Eachan (a horseman). In like manner the Gaelic Aonghas (excellent valour) and the Welsh Einiawn (the just), are both translated into Æneas; indeed it is possible that the early Welsh Saint, Einiawn, may indeed have been an Æneas; for, in compliment to the supposed descent of the Julii from Æneas, this name is very common in the latter times of the empire: it appears in the book of Acts, and belonged to several writers. Latterly, in the beginning of the classical taste of Italy, the name of Enea Silvio was given to that Piccolomini who afterwards became a pope. This form is in honour of that son of Æneas and Lavinia who was said to have been born in a wood after his father’s death. A son of the Earl of Hereford was called Æneas (temp. Ed. III).
Yonge, History of Christian Names (1884), Part III, Chapter II (Names From Greek Mythology), Section X (Heroic Names) · Public domain (Project Gutenberg)
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06 / Behind the facts
Review status: Source-reported — no editorial review recorded yet. Last data change 2026-10-15.
Wiktionary text: CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikidata: CC0. Commons recordings retain their individual file licences. Complete attribution is available in each group above and alongside each chart.