Hersch
A diminutive of the Yiddish name Hersh, meaning stag or deer.
Name Census estimates that about 12 living Americans carry the first name Hersch. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hersch today is around 26 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hersch births was 1998 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hersch. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Hersch. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
12
~ 1 in 28,562,862 Americans
Peak year
1998
7 babies that year
Average age
26
years old
2001 SSA rank
#11,208
Tracked since 1998
Popularity
Hersch: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Hersch from the 1990s through to the 2000s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 7 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Hersch remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Hersch by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Hersch during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Herschs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Hersch
The name Hersch originated from the German language and has its roots in the Middle Ages. It is a variant spelling of the name Hirsch, which means "deer" or "stag" in German. The name is thought to have been derived from the Old High German word "hiruz," which had the same meaning.
In medieval times, it was common for people to be given names that were related to nature or animals. The name Hersch may have been given to individuals who lived in areas with abundant deer populations or who were known for their hunting skills. It could also have been used as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who was perceived to have deer-like qualities, such as grace, swiftness, or gentleness.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hersch can be found in the historical records of the Holy Roman Empire, where a nobleman named Hersch von Wildenau lived in the 13th century. He was known for his military exploits and his role in defending the empire's borders.
Another notable figure with the name Hersch was Rabbi Hersch ben Yaakov, a renowned Jewish scholar who lived in the 16th century. He was the author of several influential works on Jewish law and philosophy and was highly respected within the Jewish community.
In the 18th century, Hersch Janowitz was a prominent Polish-Jewish merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several synagogues and educational institutions in Poland. He was also a generous supporter of various charitable causes.
During the 19th century, Hersch Grayevsky was a Russian-Jewish writer and journalist who played a significant role in promoting Jewish literature and culture. He was a prolific author and contributed to numerous publications, earning him a reputation as one of the most influential Jewish writers of his time.
In the 20th century, Hersch Lauterpacht was a renowned British lawyer and scholar who made significant contributions to the field of international law. He was born in 1897 and served as a professor at the University of Cambridge, where he played a pivotal role in the development of modern international legal principles.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the name Hersch throughout history. While the name may have originated from humble beginnings, it has been carried by individuals from various backgrounds and walks of life, each making their mark in their respective fields.
People
Hersch + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hersch as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with H
Other first names starting with H with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Hersch: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hersch?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 12 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hersch going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 28,562,862 US residents.
Is Hersch a common name?
We classify Hersch as "Very Rare". It ranks above 32.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 12 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hersch most popular?
The single biggest year for Hersch was 1998, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hersch is about 26 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Hersch in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hersch a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hersch in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Hersch still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hersch in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Hersch can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Hersch?
See how many Americans are named Hersch on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.