Hershel
Herschel, Herschell, Herschelle or Hershel is a given name and a surname of German origin. Notable people with the name include:
Meaning & Origin of Hershel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Herschel, Herschell, Herschelle or Hershel is a given name and a surname of German origin. Notable people with the name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Hershel
Hershel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1924, when 226 Hershels were born — ranking #407 that year. As of 2026, Hershel ranks #2,546 for baby boys with 53 births, rising sharply (+43% over the past five years). In total, more than 10K Hershels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Hershel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Hershel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Hershel
What does the name Hershel mean?
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About the name Hershel
Hershel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 10K births in the dataset. Hershel's peak popularity came in 1924 when it ranked #391. Use the chart and map above to compare Hershel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1924 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "H" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.