Boys' name · since 1897
Herschell
1,059 babies named Herschell in U.S. Social Security records since 1897, with the highest year being 1924. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4,945 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,059
- born since 1897
- 1920s
- peak decade
Herschell is not among the current top-ranked boys names; 1,059 have been recorded since 1897.
Herschell has 1,059 recorded births among boys since 1897, 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 1897 to 1997.
- #4,945 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 1,059 born since 1897
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Herschell ranks #4,945 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,059 born since 1897, peaking in the 1920s.
- #4,945 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 1,059
- born since 1897
- 1920s
- peak decade
Herschell's 1,059 recorded births place it above 89.12% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
6 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Indiana.
Herschell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Herschell's full recorded timeline at 1944, 33% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 67% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1897, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1924 peak of 33 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Herschell popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1897–1997
- Peak year (1924)
- 33
- Annual births at peak, across 101 years of records
Herschell by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (267 births, 25% of the file).
1920s was Herschell's strongest decade.
267 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Herschell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 5
1890s
5 births
- 1900s 10
1900s
10 births
- 1910s
1910s
173 births
- 1920s
1920s
267 births
- 1930s
1930s
186 births
- 1940s
1940s
150 births
- 1950s 97
1950s
97 births
- 1960s 100
1960s
100 births
- 1970s 24
1970s
24 births
- 1980s 36
1980s
36 births
- 1990s 11
1990s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 267 births (25% of all-time use).
How Herschell compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Herschell's total volume
Herschell by state
Where Herschell concentrates geographically, total births since 1897
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Indiana | | 48 | 4.5% |
| #2 | Tennessee | | 11 | 1.0% |
| #3 | Texas | | 11 | 1.0% |
| #4 | Kentucky | | 10 | 0.9% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 5 | 0.5% |
| #6 | Florida | | 5 | 0.5% |
48 of 1,059 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Herschell? ▼
Where does Herschell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Herschell most popular? ▼
Where is Herschell most popular? ▼
How long has the name Herschell been used? ▼
What names are similar to Herschell? ▼
What to do with Herschell's data
- Herschell's decade-level peak was the 1920s (267 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Indiana records the most Herschells (48 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Indiana names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Herschell
Nearby Names Like Herschell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Herschell
Compare Herschell side by side: Herschell vs Herbert Herschell vs Herman Herschell vs Herschel
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Herschell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1924)
Similar record span (~100 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1897–1997 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Herschell 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 August 2026.