Total births
454
Boys' name · since 1907
Herchel
Herchel has 454 recorded births since 1907 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1918 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 454
- total births
- 1907–1991
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 26%
- born in that decade
Herchel sits outside today's top ranks for boys, with 454 recorded since 1907.
Herchel has 454 recorded births among boys since 1907, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used boys names, busiest in the 1920s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1907 to 1991.
- 454 total births
- 1907–1991 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 26% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
454 boys have been named Herchel since 1907, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 1991.
- 454
- total births
- 1907–1991
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 26%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
26% of everyone ever named Herchel was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
19 babies were named Herchel in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
Herchel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Herchel splits its recorded history at 1936: 44% of all births land in the more recent half, 56% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1907 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 19 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Herchel at a glance
Last recorded 1991Peak year
1918
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1907
Herchel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1907–1991
- Peak year (1918)
- 19
- Annual births at peak, across 85 years of records
Herchel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Herchel's strongest decade.
116 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 26% of all-time use.
Herchel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s
1910s
79 births
- 1920s
1920s
116 births
- 1930s
1930s
94 births
- 1940s
1940s
76 births
- 1950s 41
1950s
41 births
- 1960s 24
1960s
24 births
- 1970s 6
1970s
6 births
- 1980s 8
1980s
8 births
- 1990s 5
1990s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 116 births (26% of all-time use).
Herchel by state
Where Herchel concentrates geographically, total births since 1907
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Georgia | | 5 | 1.1% |
Georgia share of Herchel's total US births 1.1%
5 of 454 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Herchel? ▼
Since 1907, Social Security records show 454 babies named Herchel. The most recent recorded year was 1991. Its busiest year on record was 1918, with 19 births.
When was Herchel most popular? ▼
Herchel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 116 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Herchel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Herchel are Georgia (5 births).
How long has the name Herchel been used? ▼
Herchel has been recorded in Social Security data since 1907, spanning 85 years of data through 1991.
What names are similar to Herchel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Herbert, Herman, Herschel, Hershel, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Herchel's data
- Herchel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (116 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Georgia records the most Herchels (5 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Georgia names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Herchel
Nearby Names Like Herchel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Herchel
Herbert Boy
#2444 228,266 births
Herman Boy
#2637 135,977 births
Herschel Boy
#4892 10,674 births
Hershel Boy
#2675 10,329 births
Heriberto Boy
#2531 10,266 births
Compare Herchel side by side: Herchel vs Herbert Herchel vs Herman Herchel vs Herschel
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1907–1991 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Herchel: Baby Name Since 1907 - 454 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/herchel. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Herchel draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.