Herschel
- Gender
- Boy
- Say it
- HER-shel
- Origin
- Germanic
- US rank, 2025
- #3,378 for boys
Herschel is a boys' name of Germanic origin, meaning “little deer”. In 2025 it ranked 3,378th for boys in the US (34 babies).
What does Herschel mean?
Germanic: Yiddish diminutive of Hirsh
“little deer”
William Herschel, a German-born British astronomer, discovered the planet Uranus in 1781.
Is Herschel a girl's or a boy's name?
Herschel is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 34 boys in the US. Too few girls were given it to be listed.
How popular is Herschel in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- 3,378th among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 34 about 1 in 50,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steady down 14% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1% chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 34 boys in the US were named Herschel, making it the 3,378th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 3,024th. Its busiest year was 1921, with 277 boys.
Half of all the boys named Herschel in the US since 1880 were born between 1920 and 1954, the years shaded on the chart below.
Herschel in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 | #3,378 |
| 2024 | 20 | #4,886 |
| 2023 | 28 | #3,880 |
| 2022 | 23 | #4,438 |
| 2021 | 38 | #3,120 |
| 2020 | 38 | #3,024 |
| 2019 | 33 | #3,423 |
| 2018 | 24 | #4,222 |
| 2017 | 22 | #4,462 |
| 2016 | 28 | #3,775 |
| 2015 | 27 | #3,881 |
| 2014 | 15 | #5,729 |
| 2013 | 16 | #5,400 |
| 2012 | 20 | #4,682 |
| 2011 | 9 | #8,072 |
| 2010 | 10 | #7,585 |
| 2009 | 14 | #6,091 |
| 2008 | 12 | #6,758 |
| 2007 | 11 | #7,090 |
| 2006 | 26 | #3,780 |
| 2005 | 8 | #8,292 |
| 2004 | 11 | #6,514 |
| 2003 | 17 | #4,611 |
| 2002 | 9 | #7,048 |
| 2001 | 17 | #4,470 |
| 2000 | 19 | #4,060 |
| 1999 | 26 | #3,099 |
| 1998 | 20 | #3,593 |
| 1997 | 19 | #3,596 |
| 1996 | 16 | #4,016 |
| 1995 | 24 | #2,918 |
| 1994 | 19 | #3,463 |
| 1993 | 28 | #2,571 |
| 1992 | 33 | #2,248 |
| 1991 | 30 | #2,338 |
| 1990 | 47 | #1,697 |
| 1989 | 40 | #1,853 |
| 1988 | 47 | #1,548 |
| 1987 | 40 | #1,682 |
| 1986 | 46 | #1,475 |
| 1985 | 28 | #2,018 |
| 1984 | 31 | #1,795 |
| 1983 | 56 | #1,222 |
| 1982 | 54 | #1,263 |
| 1981 | 30 | #1,864 |
| 1980 | 30 | #1,852 |
| 1979 | 28 | #1,903 |
| 1978 | 26 | #1,913 |
| 1977 | 30 | #1,743 |
| 1976 | 35 | #1,540 |
| 1975 | 33 | #1,558 |
| 1974 | 35 | #1,471 |
| 1973 | 32 | #1,514 |
| 1972 | 56 | #1,083 |
| 1971 | 54 | #1,109 |
| 1970 | 47 | #1,207 |
| 1969 | 58 | #1,008 |
| 1968 | 45 | #1,119 |
| 1967 | 52 | #1,003 |
| 1966 | 45 | #1,100 |
| 1965 | 53 | #1,012 |
| 1964 | 55 | #1,016 |
| 1963 | 64 | #935 |
| 1962 | 81 | #840 |
| 1961 | 72 | #900 |
| 1960 | 66 | #926 |
| 1959 | 81 | #837 |
| 1958 | 95 | #760 |
| 1957 | 98 | #757 |
| 1956 | 87 | #795 |
| 1955 | 118 | #671 |
| 1954 | 91 | #748 |
| 1953 | 106 | #692 |
| 1952 | 99 | #702 |
| 1951 | 121 | #644 |
| 1950 | 116 | #644 |
| 1949 | 125 | #606 |
| 1948 | 134 | #575 |
| 1947 | 137 | #577 |
| 1946 | 137 | #545 |
| 1945 | 119 | #548 |
| 1944 | 142 | #509 |
| 1943 | 103 | #623 |
| 1942 | 131 | #532 |
| 1941 | 135 | #506 |
| 1940 | 133 | #503 |
| 1939 | 140 | #485 |
| 1938 | 153 | #468 |
| 1937 | 132 | #499 |
| 1936 | 128 | #500 |
| 1935 | 148 | #466 |
| 1934 | 133 | #496 |
| 1933 | 141 | #473 |
| 1932 | 154 | #461 |
| 1931 | 176 | #428 |
| 1930 | 171 | #455 |
| 1929 | 178 | #444 |
| 1928 | 211 | #414 |
| 1927 | 204 | #425 |
| 1926 | 208 | #420 |
| 1925 | 208 | #415 |
| 1924 | 246 | #382 |
| 1923 | 240 | #383 |
| 1922 | 242 | #388 |
| 1921 | 277 | #361 |
| 1920 | 244 | #382 |
| 1919 | 234 | #379 |
| 1918 | 257 | #365 |
| 1917 | 230 | #368 |
| 1916 | 231 | #354 |
| 1915 | 226 | #356 |
| 1914 | 155 | #381 |
| 1913 | 137 | #353 |
| 1912 | 136 | #317 |
| 1911 | 48 | #416 |
| 1910 | 47 | #376 |
| 1909 | 39 | #388 |
| 1908 | 32 | #422 |
| 1907 | 40 | #341 |
| 1906 | 32 | #378 |
| 1905 | 44 | #303 |
| 1904 | 25 | #417 |
| 1903 | 39 | #300 |
| 1902 | 33 | #337 |
| 1901 | 38 | #277 |
| 1900 | 37 | #357 |
| 1899 | 27 | #346 |
| 1898 | 38 | #307 |
| 1897 | 32 | #327 |
| 1896 | 29 | #357 |
| 1895 | 23 | #399 |
| 1894 | 24 | #376 |
| 1893 | 28 | #330 |
| 1892 | 23 | #394 |
| 1891 | 19 | #397 |
| 1890 | 19 | #415 |
| 1889 | 19 | #415 |
| 1888 | 26 | #359 |
| 1887 | 18 | #392 |
| 1886 | 19 | #403 |
| 1885 | 10 | #604 |
| 1884 | 21 | #386 |
| 1883 | 9 | #644 |
| 1882 | 9 | #652 |
| 1881 | 8 | #653 |
| 1880 | 11 | #571 |
Nicknames for Herschel
Names like Herschel
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Henry, William, Harry, Walter, Lewis, Archie, Louis, Harvey, Otis, Charlie, Frederick, Albert
More Germanic names
Amelia, Liam, Charlotte, Emma, Freddie, Ella, Millie, Albie, Matilda, Louie, Miles, Alice, Myles, Charles, Lottie, Avery
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Herschel: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/herschel, updated 20 October 2026.