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Home › Baby Names Directory › Herchel

Herchel

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Herchel

Pronounced HUR-shul /ˈhɜr.ʃəl/Medium

Meaning: Herchel is a spelling variant of Herschel, from the Yiddish and German Hirsch meaning deer or hart, a traditional Jewish name whose animal image stands for grace and swiftness.Low

In 30 seconds: Herchel is a spelling variant of Herschel, meaning deer or hart. It appeared for a few American boys in the nineteen-tens (said HUR-shul).
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Origin LowYiddish, German
MeaningHerchel is a spelling variant of Herschel, from the Yiddish and German Hirsch meaning deer or hart, a traditional Jewish name whose animal image stands for grace and swiftness.
U.S. rank (1991)#8694 ↘ Falling
1991 U.S. births5 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1918
Total births (all-time)≈ 454

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 191819071991

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Herchel is a respelling of Herschel, from the Yiddish and German Hirsch, a deer or hart. A traditional Jewish name, it entered broader American use and appeared in this spelling only rarely, around 1918.

It was never common in this form, given to only about twenty boys a year at most. A boy named Herchel then would be well over a hundred today. The spelling reads as a period variant of Herschel rather than a distinct revival.

Did you know? The hart or deer behind Herschel comes from the German Hirsch, and the name was long a favorite among Jewish families before it spread more widely.
Overall data confidence 42%
References - Herchel — Spelling variant of Herschel; German Hirsch, deer

Variations

HerschelHershelHirschel

Nicknames

HerchHersh

Famous Bearers

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If you like Herchel…

Herschel— the standard spelling of the same name
Hershel— a like short variant of the same name
Herbert— a like Her- vintage boys name
Marshall— a familiar -shel sounding name of the era

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Herchel mean?

It is a spelling variant of Herschel, from the German Hirsch meaning deer or hart.

How do you pronounce Herchel?

It is said HUR-shul /ˈhɜr.ʃəl/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Herchel a boy or girl name?

Herchel is used as a boys name.

How popular is Herchel?

It has always been very rare in this spelling, given to only about twenty boys a year at its peak in the nineteen-tens.

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