Boys' name · since 1909

Hersel

197 babies named Hersel in U.S. Social Security records since 1909, with the highest year being 1921. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#13,061 of 45,481
all-time among boys
197
born since 1909
1920s
peak decade

197 boys have been named Hersel since 1909, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Hersel has been recorded 197 times among boys since 1909, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1909 to 1953.

  • #13,061 of 45,481 all-time among boys
  • 197 born since 1909
  • 1920s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Hersel ranks #13,061 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 197 born since 1909, peaking in the 1920s.

#13,061 of 45,481
all-time among boys
197
born since 1909
1920s
peak decade
Below the archive median
All-time archive position

Hersel's 197 recorded births place it above 71.24% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.

National only
State-record footprint

No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.

Hersel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Divide Hersel's SSA record in two at 1927 and the more recent half accounts for 40% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 60%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1937, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1921 peak of 16, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.

Hersel popularity over time

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–1953

Last recorded 1953
Peak year (1921)
16
Annual births at peak, across 45 years of records
05101520 190919161919192219271934193819481953 6

Hersel by decade

1920s is the heaviest window (66 births, 34% of the file).

1920s was Hersel's strongest decade.

66 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.

Hersel births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1920s at 66 births (34% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Hersel? ▼
197 babies have been named Hersel since 1909. All-time, it sits at #13,061 of 45,481 boys' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 1953. The peak year was 1921 with 16 births.
Where does Hersel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Hersel ranks #13,061 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Hersel most popular? ▼
Hersel was most popular in the 1920s decade with 66 total births. The single peak year was 1921.
How long has the name Hersel been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Hersel since 1909 -- 45 years through the most recent 1953 data.
What names are similar to Hersel? ▼
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 Hersel's data

  • Hersel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (66 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 1950s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Hersel

Nearby Names Like Hersel

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Hersel

Herbert Boy
#2641 228,266 births
Herman Boy
#2363 135,977 births
Herschel Boy
#3384 10,674 births
Hershel Boy
#2676 10,329 births
Heriberto Boy
#3048 10,266 births

Compare Hersel side by side: Hersel vs Herbert Hersel vs Herman Hersel vs Herschel

Or pick any two names to compare →

Related Names

Names with a similar number of total births

Jettie
197 births · Peak 1913
Armour #8948
197 births · Peak 1917
Valmore
197 births · Peak 1919
Talton
197 births · Peak 1921
Gervase
197 births · Peak 1930
Chrles
197 births · Peak 1982
Tomislav
197 births · Peak 1980
Janssen
197 births · Peak 1964

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Hersel: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

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, 1909–1953 (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 Hersel 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.