Hershel
Herschel, Herschell, Herschelle or Hershel is a given name and a surname of German origin. Notable people with the name include:
- American
- Yiddish
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 →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- American
- Yiddish
The Story of Hershel
The earliest SSA record of Hershel as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 5 babies received it. 1924 was its biggest year on record, with 226 newborns named Hershel — #407 in the national rankings. About 20% of every Hershel on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Hershel ranks #2,546 for baby boys with 53 births, rising sharply (+43% over the past five years). All told, over 10K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Hershel
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Hershel. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
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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How popular is Hershel in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Hershel most popular?
Is Hershel a unisex name?
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What are nicknames or variants of Hershel?
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.