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Hershel

♂ Boy

Pronounced HEHR-shehl /ˈhɛr.ʃɛl/Medium

Meaning: DeerMedium

In 30 seconds: Hershel is an American boy's name meaning 'deer.'

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Origin MediumAmerican, Yiddish

MeaningDeer

U.S. rank (2025)#2692 ↗ Rising

2025 U.S. births48 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year1924

Total births (all-time)≈ 10,327

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Hershel carries the meaning 'deer' in its American usage. It is closely tied to the spellings Herschel and Hirshel, which differ only in a letter or two.

The soft 'sh' at its center gives the name a gentle sound that ties directly to the deer it names.

Did you know? Hershel likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.

Overall data confidence 70%

Behind the Name - Hershel — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

HerschelHirshel

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Hershel "Woody" Williams (1923-2022)
U.S. Marine and the last surviving World War II Medal of Honor recipient

If you like Hershel…

Mendel— shares the -el ending

Cheskel— a fellow Yiddish choice

Shmiel— a fellow Yiddish choice

Yaziel— shares Hershel's American roots

Abriel— a fellow American choice

Explore names like Hershel

By themeamerican surname-style yiddish

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Hershel mean?

Hershel is usually explained as meaning 'deer' and is most often linked with American tradition.

How do you pronounce Hershel?

It's commonly said HEHR-shehl /ˈhɛr.ʃɛl/.

Is Hershel a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Hershel is used as a boy name.

How popular is Hershel?

In 2024, Hershel ranked #2755 in the U.S. for boys, with 47 births recorded.