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Herschell
How to Pronounce Herschell
Pronounced HUR-shuhl /ΛhΙr.ΚΙl/High
Meaning: Herschell is an elaborated spelling of Hershel/Herschel, a Yiddish name meaning 'deer' (from hirsch, German for 'deer', with a diminutive ending). It was borne widely by Jewish families and passed into broader American use as a given name.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Herschell is a fuller spelling of Hershel or Herschel, a Yiddish name meaning 'deer', from the German hirsch with an affectionate ending. Deer names were a warm tradition in Ashkenazi Jewish naming, and Hershel was widely used; the -schell spelling gave it a distinctive American look as it spread beyond Jewish families.
As a given name it was always uncommon in this spelling β a few dozen boys a year at its faint peak in the mid-nineteen-twenties β and it faded across the century. It reads as a vintage name with clear Yiddish roots; the plainer Hershel and the surname Herschel (as in astronomer William Herschel) are better known, while this spelling has stayed rare.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- β
Herschell Gordon Lewis (1926β2016)American filmmaker known as a pioneer of the splatter horror film.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Herschell mean?
Herschell is a spelling of Hershel, a Yiddish name meaning 'deer'.
How do you pronounce Herschell?
It's said HUR-shuhl /ΛhΙr.ΚΙl/ β two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Herschell a boy or girl name?
Herschell is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Herschell?
Herschell has always been rare in this spelling, a vintage Yiddish-rooted name most seen in the early twentieth century.