Hercules Family History

Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Juan, Carlota, Deysi, Genoveva, Gerardo, Jose, Jose Alfonso, Jose Antonio, Jose Roberto, Juan Pablo, Juanita, Marcial.

Hispanic, West Indian, Guyanese, and South African: from the personal name Hercules, which is the Latin form of classical Greek Hēraklēs, meaning ‘glory of Hera’ (Hera was the queen of the gods). It was the name of a demigod in classical mythology, who was the son of Zeus, king of the gods, by a human woman; his outstanding quality was his superhuman strength.

English (Lancashire): variant, by folk etymology, of Argles, a nickname from Middle English (originally Norman) orguillous, erguleis, Old French orgoillos, orguilleus, ergoillose ‘proud, arrogant, showy’ (in manner or dress). Compare Orgill and Argyle . A derivation from the personal name Hercules (see 1 above) is implausible, as this was not used as an English personal name until the 16th century, and then only among families with an education in Classics, who would already possess hereditary surnames.