Herschel

Herschel - A very unique male name

Herschel appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #401. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Herschel and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Herschel? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Herschel. The baby boy name Herschel was given to 6 baby boys in 2025, ranking #3602 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 244,381 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Herschel peaked in popularity 113 years ago in 1913 on position 331.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Herschel, 1-5?

Herschel is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Herschel is currently topping the baby name charts in Texas at position #2,385 - and is the least popular in Texas at position #2,385.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Herschel is where you live.

---

Comment and discuss

---

Herschel origin and meaning

German and Yiddish (Jewish name)

From German/Yiddish Hersh/Hirsch, 'deer, stag,' with a diminutive ending — 'little deer'

Herschel is the Yiddish diminutive of Hirsch, 'deer,' a traditional Jewish name pairing with the Hebrew Tzvi, which also means deer. It peaked in America in 1921 and has become rare, with 6 births in 2025. Its bearers span the astronomer William Herschel and the football star Herschel Walker.

Attested etymology

Herschel is a 8 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Herschel, pop culture references for the name Herschel and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Herschel

We've found the following names that sound similar to Herschel, sorted by popularity.

Hershel / Hershell / Hercules / Hurshel / Herschell / Heraclio / Hershal / Harshil / Herchel / Hurschel /

---

Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Herschel

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Herschel a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Herschel?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

---

Pronunciation

HER-shel · /ˈhɜːrʃəl/

Around the world

No traditional forms in other languages — this name was created in America in our own time.

Spellings and nicknames

• Hershel — Single-l variant spelling

Famous bearers

• William Herschel — German-British astronomer who discovered Uranus (1738–1822) Historical
• Herschel Walker — American football star and Heisman Trophy winner (b. 1962) Contemporary

Style

ClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

Herschel is a warm, old-world Jewish name with heavyweight bearers in science and sport, now deeply unfashionable.

Worth knowing

• Reads as strongly dated and old-world; spelling varies between -el and -ell.