Hershel

About Hershel

Hershel is a Yiddish diminutive of Hirsh, meaning “deer” or “buck,” so “little deer” conveys its affectionate formation. The spelling also developed an American life that may partly reflect the surname Herschel. Its cultural connections include the stories of the Yiddish jester Hershele Ostropolyer and the military service of Hershel “Woody” Williams.

Meaning and related forms

The Yiddish name is formed from hirsh with a diminutive ending. It is an affectionate form of Hirsh, retaining the deer meaning in a shorter, softer shape.

Herschel and Hirshel are related spellings, while Hershele is another familiar form encountered in Yiddish cultural history. In English, Hershel is generally pronounced HUR-shul, with two syllables and first-syllable stress.

Some American use outside the Yiddish naming tradition was probably encouraged by the German surname Herschel, familiar through astronomer William Herschel. That explanation remains a likely influence rather than a known history for every American bearer. The Yiddish derivation itself is more firmly established.

Hershele Ostropolyer and the jester tradition

Hershele Ostropolyer is a related-name figure in Yiddish folklore. He was a real person, but much of what survives about his life comes through oral tradition and stories. The surname refers to Ostropol, where he was associated with work as a ritual slaughterer.

The tales present him as a sharp-witted poor man whose jokes unsettle powerful people. In one strand of the tradition, he becomes a jester at the court of Rabbi Barukh of Mezhbizh. His mockery delights ordinary listeners while exposing the behavior of wealthier or more influential figures.

After his death, pamphlets circulated his stories and witty remarks. The character also entered later literature and theatre, including a comedy performed by the Vilner Trupe in 1930. His lasting importance belongs to that storytelling tradition as much as to the recoverable facts of his biography.

Eric Kimmel brought the trickster into children's literature in Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins (1989) and The Adventures of Hershel of Ostropol (1995). Both titles use the spelling Hershel.

Hershel “Woody” Williams

Hershel Woodrow Williams, known as Woody, provides a documented American first-name bearer. A United States Marine during the Second World War, he received the Medal of Honor for actions on Iwo Jima on February 23, 1945.

His citation describes the use of a flamethrower against fortified positions under enemy fire. President Harry Truman presented him with the medal on October 5, 1945.

Williams died in Huntington, West Virginia, on June 29, 2022, at the age of 98. At that time he was the last living Medal of Honor recipient from the Second World War.

American popularity

Hershel reached its largest annual male count in the United States in 1924, with 226 births and a ranking of #409. In 2025, 48 boys received the exact spelling, at #2,692. These figures are separate from Herschel, whose additional c creates a different recorded spelling.

How popular is Hershel?

In 2025, Hershel ranked #2,692 among boys in the United States, with 48 recorded uses. The U.S. birth records first list this spelling for boys in 1880; its largest annual count was 226 in 1924. Rankings count each spelling separately. They describe national use, so local familiarity can differ. The popularity chart shows whether the name has remained common, returned after a quieter period, or risen recently.