Boys' name · since 1880
Hershel
Hershel has 10,329 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1924 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1,183 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,676 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 10,329
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Hershel is the #2676 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 10,329 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Hershel recorded 10,329 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #2676 nationally today, ahead of 81% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1,183 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #2,676 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 10,329 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Hershel ranks #1,183 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #2,676 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 10,329 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,183 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #2,676 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 10,329
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Hershel's 10,329 recorded births place it above 97.39% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
23 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Kentucky.
How Hershel compares
10,329 Top 9% higher than 91% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Hershel's all-time total is 28x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Hershel | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 10,329 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 226 | 34 | 22,252 |
Hershel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Hershel's SSA record in two at 1955 and the more recent half accounts for 30% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 70%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1880, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1924 peak of 226, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Hershel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1924)
- 226
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Hershel popularity over time - girls
5 total births recorded since 1918 (Hershel as girls' name)
Hershel by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (2,032 births, 20% of the file).
1920s was Hershel's strongest decade.
2,032 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 20% of all-time use.
Hershel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 47
1880s
47 births
- 1890s 73
1890s
73 births
- 1900s 202
1900s
202 births
- 1910s
1910s
1,128 births
- 1920s
1920s
2,032 births
- 1930s
1930s
1,756 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,440 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,006 births
- 1960s 652
1960s
652 births
- 1970s 411
1970s
411 births
- 1980s 306
1980s
306 births
- 1990s 263
1990s
263 births
- 2000s 361
2000s
361 births
- 2010s 386
2010s
386 births
- 2020s 266
2020s
266 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 2,032 births (20% of all-time use).
How Hershel 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 Hershel's total volume
Hershel by state
Where Hershel concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 948 | 9.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 934 | 9.0% |
| #3 | Texas | | 684 | 6.6% |
| #4 | Arkansas | | 674 | 6.5% |
| #5 | Tennessee | | 650 | 6.3% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 590 | 5.7% |
| #7 | Oklahoma | | 567 | 5.5% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 516 | 5.0% |
948 of 10,329 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 23 reporting states.
Hershel appears in 23 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Hershel? ▼
Where does Hershel sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Hershel most popular? ▼
Where is Hershel most popular? ▼
How long has the name Hershel been used? ▼
What names are similar to Hershel? ▼
What to do with Hershel's data
- Hershel's decade-level peak was the 1920s (2,032 total births); usage has since declined to 266 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Hershels (948 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Hershel
Nearby Names Like Hershel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Hershel
Compare Hershel side by side: Hershel vs Herbert Hershel vs Herman Hershel vs Herschel
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Hershel
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Hershel: 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 (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Hershel 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.