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Hurshel
How to Pronounce Hurshel
Pronounced HUR-shuhl /ΛhΙr.ΚΙl/High
Meaning: Hurshel is a phonetic American spelling of Herschel/Hershel, a Yiddish name meaning 'deer' (from German hirsch). The spelling reflects the sound as heard in the American South, where the name spread beyond Jewish families; it carries Hershel's meaning.Low
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
Hurshel is a phonetic spelling of Herschel or Hershel, a Yiddish name meaning 'deer', from the German hirsch. As the name moved beyond Jewish communities into the broader American South in the early twentieth century, families wrote it by ear, and Hurshel is one such spelling; it keeps the original 'deer' meaning.
It was always rare in this form β a few dozen boys a year at its faint peak around 1921 β while Hershel and Herschel were more usual. It reads as a genuine vintage, Southern-inflected spelling; distinctive and dated, it has stayed obscure rather than revived.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Hurshel mean?
Hurshel is a phonetic spelling of Hershel, a Yiddish name meaning 'deer'.
How do you pronounce Hurshel?
It's said HUR-shuhl /ΛhΙr.ΚΙl/ β two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Hurshel a boy or girl name?
Hurshel is used as a boy's name.
How popular is Hurshel?
Hurshel has always been rare in this spelling, a vintage name most seen in the early twentieth century.