Hershel
Hershel was given to 48 boys in 2025, #2,692 among boys’ names; 10,334 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 3,920 Americans named Hershel and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (38% of everyone recorded); the median is 57 years old and half are between 26 and 74.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Hershel by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Hershel mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Hershel is “a male given name from Yiddish.” Its etymology gives the sense “deer, buck” (הירש).
Borrowed from Yiddish הירשעל (hirshel), a diminutive of הירש (hirsh, “deer, buck”).
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Hershel?
#2,692 among boys’ names, 2025
Hershel fell from #2,538 in 2015 to #2,692 in 2025 among boys’ names, although its share of boys born rose from 25.6 to 28.1 per million.
226 babies in 1924, the peak
Hershel peaked in 1924, when 226 boys were given it, #409 among boys’ names. The 48 births of 2025 are 21% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 48 | #2,692 | 0.03 |
| 2024 | 49 | #2,685 | 0.03 |
| 2023 | 52 | #2,555 | 0.03 |
| 2022 | 47 | #2,766 | 0.03 |
| 2021 | 32 | #3,528 | 0.02 |
| 2020 | 38 | #3,041 | 0.02 |
| 2019 | 31 | #3,591 | 0.02 |
| 2018 | 36 | #3,192 | 0.02 |
| 2017 | 38 | #3,089 | 0.02 |
| 2016 | 40 | #2,947 | 0.02 |
Every recorded year (142)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 49 | #2,538 | 0.03 |
| 2014 | 41 | #2,859 | 0.02 |
| 2013 | 39 | #2,909 | 0.02 |
| 2012 | 35 | #3,191 | 0.02 |
| 2011 | 47 | #2,601 | 0.02 |
| 2010 | 30 | #3,567 | 0.02 |
| 2009 | 30 | #3,587 | 0.02 |
| 2008 | 44 | #2,762 | 0.02 |
| 2007 | 42 | #2,835 | 0.02 |
| 2006 | 35 | #3,106 | 0.02 |
| 2005 | 52 | #2,273 | 0.03 |
| 2004 | 40 | #2,659 | 0.02 |
| 2003 | 33 | #2,950 | 0.02 |
| 2002 | 30 | #3,038 | 0.02 |
| 2001 | 23 | #3,656 | 0.01 |
| 2000 | 32 | #2,826 | 0.02 |
| 1999 | 16 | #4,426 | 0.01 |
| 1998 | 22 | #3,426 | 0.01 |
| 1997 | 37 | #2,278 | 0.02 |
| 1996 | 25 | #2,959 | 0.01 |
| 1995 | 28 | #2,641 | 0.01 |
| 1994 | 24 | #2,975 | 0.01 |
| 1993 | 25 | #2,807 | 0.01 |
| 1992 | 24 | #2,866 | 0.01 |
| 1991 | 37 | #2,026 | 0.02 |
| 1990 | 25 | #2,645 | 0.01 |
| 1989 | 25 | #2,561 | 0.01 |
| 1988 | 33 | #1,959 | 0.02 |
| 1987 | 37 | #1,767 | 0.02 |
| 1986 | 23 | #2,381 | 0.01 |
| 1985 | 31 | #1,886 | 0.02 |
| 1984 | 32 | #1,775 | 0.02 |
| 1983 | 36 | #1,639 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 31 | #1,829 | 0.02 |
| 1981 | 28 | #1,966 | 0.02 |
| 1980 | 30 | #1,879 | 0.02 |
| 1979 | 40 | #1,501 | 0.02 |
| 1978 | 30 | #1,769 | 0.02 |
| 1977 | 34 | #1,623 | 0.02 |
| 1976 | 39 | #1,436 | 0.02 |
| 1975 | 40 | #1,389 | 0.03 |
| 1974 | 51 | #1,158 | 0.03 |
| 1973 | 45 | #1,236 | 0.03 |
| 1972 | 40 | #1,334 | 0.02 |
| 1971 | 46 | #1,220 | 0.03 |
| 1970 | 46 | #1,230 | 0.02 |
| 1969 | 58 | #1,014 | 0.03 |
| 1968 | 70 | #868 | 0.04 |
| 1967 | 46 | #1,094 | 0.03 |
| 1966 | 58 | #956 | 0.03 |
| 1965 | 57 | #980 | 0.03 |
| 1964 | 78 | #863 | 0.04 |
| 1963 | 67 | #915 | 0.03 |
| 1962 | 71 | #905 | 0.03 |
| 1961 | 85 | #834 | 0.04 |
| 1960 | 62 | #968 | 0.03 |
| 1959 | 73 | #900 | 0.03 |
| 1958 | 69 | #909 | 0.03 |
| 1957 | 91 | #785 | 0.04 |
| 1956 | 91 | #780 | 0.04 |
| 1955 | 99 | #734 | 0.05 |
| 1954 | 107 | #700 | 0.05 |
| 1953 | 113 | #673 | 0.06 |
| 1952 | 125 | #628 | 0.06 |
| 1951 | 125 | #629 | 0.07 |
| 1950 | 113 | #659 | 0.06 |
| 1949 | 113 | #642 | 0.06 |
| 1948 | 144 | #558 | 0.08 |
| 1947 | 127 | #603 | 0.07 |
| 1946 | 131 | #560 | 0.08 |
| 1945 | 127 | #530 | 0.09 |
| 1944 | 150 | #497 | 0.11 |
| 1943 | 138 | #535 | 0.10 |
| 1942 | 180 | #463 | 0.13 |
| 1941 | 176 | #440 | 0.14 |
| 1940 | 154 | #466 | 0.13 |
| 1939 | 183 | #420 | 0.17 |
| 1938 | 167 | #448 | 0.15 |
| 1937 | 177 | #427 | 0.17 |
| 1936 | 146 | #467 | 0.14 |
| 1935 | 180 | #410 | 0.17 |
| 1934 | 161 | #445 | 0.16 |
| 1933 | 163 | #432 | 0.16 |
| 1932 | 207 | #391 | 0.20 |
| 1931 | 172 | #433 | 0.17 |
| 1930 | 200 | #416 | 0.18 |
| 1929 | 211 | #401 | 0.20 |
| 1928 | 181 | #448 | 0.16 |
| 1927 | 202 | #427 | 0.18 |
| 1926 | 215 | #408 | 0.19 |
| 1925 | 180 | #448 | 0.16 |
| 1924 | 226 | #409 | 0.20 |
| 1923 | 208 | #418 | 0.19 |
| 1922 | 202 | #423 | 0.19 |
| 1921 | 213 | #416 | 0.19 |
| 1920 | 194 | #432 | 0.18 |
| 1919 | 206 | #406 | 0.21 |
| 1918 | 182 | #440 | 0.18 |
| 1917 | 146 | #475 | 0.16 |
| 1916 | 153 | #458 | 0.17 |
| 1915 | 141 | #463 | 0.17 |
| 1914 | 98 | #495 | 0.15 |
| 1913 | 85 | #467 | 0.17 |
| 1912 | 61 | #503 | 0.14 |
| 1911 | 31 | #538 | 0.14 |
| 1910 | 25 | #574 | 0.13 |
| 1909 | 22 | #564 | 0.13 |
| 1908 | 23 | #528 | 0.15 |
| 1907 | 24 | #480 | 0.16 |
| 1906 | 25 | #446 | 0.19 |
| 1905 | 23 | #471 | 0.17 |
| 1904 | 20 | #482 | 0.16 |
| 1903 | 17 | #539 | 0.14 |
| 1902 | 20 | #479 | 0.16 |
| 1901 | 15 | #518 | 0.14 |
| 1900 | 13 | #711 | 0.09 |
| 1899 | 8 | #819 | 0.08 |
| 1898 | 10 | #717 | 0.08 |
| 1897 | 9 | #753 | 0.08 |
| 1896 | 11 | #696 | 0.09 |
| 1895 | 9 | #762 | 0.08 |
| 1894 | 5 | #1,157 | 0.04 |
| 1893 | 8 | #795 | 0.07 |
| 1892 | 8 | #826 | 0.07 |
| 1890 | 5 | #1,068 | 0.05 |
| 1889 | 9 | #695 | 0.08 |
| 1888 | 7 | #864 | 0.06 |
| 1885 | 5 | #1,008 | 0.05 |
| 1884 | 8 | #723 | 0.07 |
| 1883 | 7 | #762 | 0.07 |
| 1882 | 6 | #885 | 0.05 |
| 1880 | 5 | #976 | 0.05 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Hershel a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Hershel has been given almost only to boys: 5 girls in 142 years of records.
Girls and boys named Hershel: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Hershel, and how old are they?
3,920 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 38% of the 10,334 Americans ever recorded as Hershel. The median Hershel alive today is 57 years old; half are between 26 and 74.
The 2020 Census counted 3,772 people named Hershel (23 women and girls, 3,749 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 4,393 born in the U.S. The Census count is 14% below that prediction. Possible reasons: people who give a short form or another name to the Census, and a survival estimate that can run high.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 557 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 1,200 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 640 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 440 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 539 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 536 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Hershel born?
The states with the most babies named Hershel are Kentucky, New York and Texas, with 36% of its births recorded by state since 1910; Kentucky is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kentucky | 948 | not ranked | 4.2× |
| New York | 934 | #535 | 1.1× |
| Texas | 684 | not ranked | 1.1× |
| Arkansas | 674 | not ranked | 4.4× |
| Tennessee | 650 | not ranked | 2.7× |
| Alabama | 590 | not ranked | 2.5× |
| Oklahoma | 567 | not ranked | 3.1× |
| Georgia | 516 | not ranked | 1.7× |
| Missouri | 416 | not ranked | 1.6× |
| West Virginia | 243 | not ranked | 1.7× |
Where Hershel is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Hershel is most over-represented in Arkansas: since 1910 it was given 4.4 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Hershel with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 5 names spelled alike, given to 23,697 babies since 1880, Hershel is the second most given (44% of them). In 2025 it was given to 48 of their 82 babies (59%), the most given that year.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Hershel
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Hershel and names like it
- Compare Hershel and HerschelBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 1920sHershel peaked in 1924.
- Kentucky’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Hershel since 1910.
- The top names of 1924The year the most babies were named Hershel.
- The names of the Baby BoomersMost people named Hershel alive today were born 1946-1964.
- Names starting with HMost given first.