2000
#8,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,669
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Hersh
A Jewish surname derived from the Yiddish word for deer or stag, often used as a symbol of peace.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,851 Americans carry the last name Hersh. That puts it at #9,296 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,004 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hersh surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 89,004
Census rank
#9,296
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,358 bearers of the surname Hersh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9296th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hersh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hersh
The surname Hersh has its origins in the German language, with the earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the word "Hersh," which translates to "stag" or "deer" in German. This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname or occupational surname to individuals who worked with deer or in forestry.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hersh can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, Germany, from the year 1567. The entry mentions a Johann Hersh, who was a farmer in the region. Additionally, a document from the city of Heidelberg in 1591 references a merchant named Hans Hersh, indicating the name's presence in different parts of Germany during that time period.
In the 17th century, the Hersh surname began to appear in various church records and parish registers across German-speaking regions. For example, the baptismal record of a child named Anna Hersh was found in the town of Freiburg im Breisgau in 1622. This suggests that the name had become more widespread and established as a family name by that point.
One notable figure bearing the Hersh surname was Johann Hersh, a renowned clockmaker born in Augsburg, Germany, in 1678. His intricate timepieces were renowned for their craftsmanship and precision, and he is considered a pioneer in the field of German clockmaking.
As the Hersh family migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas, the spelling of the name underwent slight variations. In some records from the 18th century, it appeared as "Hersch" or "Herschel," likely influenced by regional dialects and scribal variations.
Another noteworthy individual with the Hersh surname was Friedrich Hersh, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1768 to 1835. He was known for his writings on ethics and morality, which gained him recognition in the intellectual circles of his time.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Hersh name can be traced back to Jacob Hersh, who arrived in Pennsylvania from Germany in 1753. He and his family settled in the Lancaster County area, where they established themselves as farmers and contributed to the local community.
Over the centuries, the Hersh surname has been associated with various occupations, including farmers, merchants, artisans, and professionals in various fields. While the name's prevalence may have varied across different regions, its German roots and connection to the word "deer" or "stag" have remained a consistent part of its etymology and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hersh
Among Census respondents with the surname Hersh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hersh bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Hersh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 3,107
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 100
- Two or more races2.7% · 91
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 34
- Black or African American0.7% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hersh
Hersh appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,104
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,589
-80 bearers (-2.2%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 802 places
2020
#9,296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,358
-231 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 192 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,302 | 3,669 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,104 | 3,589 | 1.22 | -80 bearers (-2.2%) | Down 802 places |
| 2020 | #9,296 | 3,358 | 1.12 | -231 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 192 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Hersh surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,104 | #9,296 | -2.1% |
| Count | 3,589 | 3,358 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.12 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hersh bearers went from 3,589 to 3,358 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 192 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,104 to #9,296.
FAQ
Hersh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hersh?
Name Census estimates that about 3,851 living Americans carry the surname Hersh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,004 residents.
How common is Hersh?
Hersh ranks #9,296 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,358 people with the surname Hersh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,851), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Hersh.
Has Hersh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hersh went from 3,589 recorded bearers to 3,358. That is a decrease of 231 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,104 to #9,296.
What does the Census say about the background of Hersh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hersh, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Hersh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (3,107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hersh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Hersh (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Hersh mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the Yiddish word for deer or stag, often used as a symbol of peace. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Hersh (1.12 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Hersh?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.