Hesler
An uncommon name of unknown origin, possibly derived from a surname.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Hesler. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Hesler today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Hesler births was 2020 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Hesler. 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 Hesler. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2020
5 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2020 SSA rank
#12,762
Tracked since 2020
Popularity
Hesler: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Hesler 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 Hesler during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Hesler
The given name Hesler has its origins in the Germanic language family, with roots tracing back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be a variant of the name Hessler, which itself derives from the Old High German word "hessi," meaning a person from the region of Hesse in central Germany.
In the Middle Ages, the name Hesler was particularly prevalent in the areas of modern-day Germany and the Netherlands, where it was commonly used as a surname to denote one's place of origin or ancestry. The earliest recorded instances of the name Hesler date back to the 12th century, appearing in various historical documents and records from that era.
One of the earliest notable figures to bear the name Hesler was Johannes Hesler, a German theologian and reformer born in 1556 in Nuremberg. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation movement and was known for his teachings and writings on religious reform.
Another historical figure with the name Hesler was Caspar Hesler, a German artist and engraver who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. His works, which included etchings and engravings, were highly regarded and can be found in various art collections around the world.
In the 18th century, Johann Hesler (1720-1799) was a notable German composer and organist who made significant contributions to the development of church music during his time. His compositions were widely performed and appreciated throughout Germany and neighboring regions.
Moving into the 19th century, Friedrich Hesler (1802-1872) was a German painter and lithographer known for his landscapes and architectural works. He studied under renowned artists of his time and his works were exhibited in galleries across Europe.
Finally, one of the more recent historical figures with the name Hesler was Rudolf Hesler (1881-1962), a German-American artist and illustrator. He was particularly renowned for his illustrations in children's books and magazines, and his works captured the imagination of young readers throughout the early 20th century.
While the name Hesler may not be as commonly used today as it once was, its rich history and connections to various cultural and artistic figures make it a fascinating and noteworthy given name with a long and storied past.
People
Hesler + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Hesler 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
Hesler: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Hesler?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Hesler 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Hesler a common name?
We classify Hesler as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Hesler most popular?
The single biggest year for Hesler was 2020, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Hesler is about 6 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 Hesler in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Hesler a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Hesler 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 Hesler still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Hesler 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 Hesler 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 many people have Hesler as a first name?
If you just want to know how many people have the name Hesler, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.