At a Glance: Name: Herschel – Meaning: deer, stag (diminutive of Hirsch) – Origin: Yiddish/German (Ashkenazi Jewish surname) – Gender: Boy – Pronunciation: HER-shul
Herschel is a Yiddish/German (Ashkenazi Jewish surname) boy's name meaning “deer, stag (diminutive of Hirsch)”. It appears in 2 of our baby name lists.
Meaning & Origin of Herschel
Meaning: Deer, stag (diminutive of Hirsch).
Origin: Yiddish/German (Ashkenazi Jewish surname).
A common claim: Herschel/Hershel is said to mean 'deer' (often labeled Yiddish/Hebrew) Actually: The 'deer' meaning is right, but the language label often given ('Hebrew') is not — Yiddish is a Germanic language merely written in Hebrew script; the actual root is German Hirsch.
Source: Wiktionary.
How to Pronounce Herschel
Phonetic: HER-shul IPA: /ˈhɜːrʃəl/
Popularity of Herschel
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.
Lists That Include Herschel
Similar Names
Haruki · Humphrey · Hwanhee · Linden · Grover · Floyd
