Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1921

Herschel

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,399 Trend → Stable
Rank 2025
#3,399
among boys · ↑1,547 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
34
named Herschel · +70% vs 2024
How common
1 in 50,238
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1921
277 babies
All-time total
10,674
#1,161 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Herschel popularity over time

10,674 babies have been named Herschel since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.10.20.30.418801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1901Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s 150 15 – #364
1890s 262 26 +75% #310
1900s 359 36 +37% #281
1910s 1,701 170 +374% #318
1920s 2,258 226 +33% #361
1930s 1,476 148 -35% #429
1940s 1,296 130 -12% #503
1950s 1,012 101 -22% #645
1960s 591 59 -42% #843
1970s 376 38 -36% #1,089
1980s 402 40 +7% #1,227
1990s 262 26 -35% #1,712
2000s 144 14 -45% #3,827
2010s 204 20 +42% #3,446
2020s (to 2025) 181 30 +48% #3,041

Where Herschel is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 34 0.02 outside top 500
2027 33 0.02 outside top 500
2028 33 0.02 outside top 500
2029 33 0.02 outside top 500
2030 33 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Herschel

Herschel is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,399 in 2025 with 34 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 10,674 American babies have been named Herschel. Its peak came in 1921, when 277 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1920s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Herschel stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Herschel?

The median living Herschel is about 63 years old; half are between 39 and 76. An estimated 3,700 people named Herschel are alive in the United States today.

median 63 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Herschel year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 34 #3,399
2024 20 #4,946
2023 28 #3,931
2022 23 #4,480
2021 38 #3,143
2020 38 #3,041
2019 33 #3,446
2018 24 #4,279
2017 22 #4,520
2016 28 #3,816
2015 27 #3,921
2014 15 #5,831
2013 16 #5,488
2012 20 #4,764
2011 9 #8,314
2010 10 #7,788
2009 14 #6,223
2008 12 #6,904
2007 11 #7,281
2006 26 #3,827
2005 8 #8,578
2004 11 #6,703
2003 17 #4,681
2002 9 #7,257
2001 17 #4,565
2000 19 #4,112
1995 24 #2,958
1990 47 #1,712
1985 28 #2,038
1980 30 #1,878
1975 33 #1,570
1970 47 #1,211
1965 53 #1,013
1960 66 #933
1955 118 #673
1950 116 #645
1945 119 #550
1940 133 #503
1935 148 #467
1930 171 #456
1925 208 #415
1920 244 #382
1915 226 #356
1910 47 #377
1905 44 #304
1900 37 #363
1895 23 #402
1890 19 #419
1885 10 #620
1880 11 #587

Famous people named Herschel

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Herschel Grynszpan Herschel Grynszpan Assassin of Ernst vom Rath (1921–1945?) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Herschel, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Herschel?

The median living Herschel is about 63 years old. Half of all living Herschels are between 39 and 76 years old.

How many people named Herschel are alive today?

An estimated 3,700 people named Herschel are alive in the United States, based on 10,674 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Herschel in 2025?

Herschel ranked #3,399 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 34 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Herschel?

10,674 babies have been named Herschel in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Herschel most popular?

Herschel peaked in 1921, when 277 newborns received the name.

Is Herschel a boy or girl name?

Herschel is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Herschel rising or falling?

Herschel is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Herschel become more popular?

Herschel looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 33 boys named Herschel in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Herschel?

Well-known people named Herschel include Herschel Grynszpan (politician).

Names like Herschel

Names that sound and feel close to Herschel: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Herschel with similar names → More names starting with H →