Find out how popular the last name Hershberger is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Hershberger.

Hershberger, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Hershberger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hershberger in America

Hershberger is the 2523rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hershberger surname appeared 14,357 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Hershberger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hershberger to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Hershberger

The surname Hershberger is of German origin, originating in the region of Alsace, which is now part of eastern France. It is believed to have emerged during the late 16th or early 17th century. The name is derived from the German words "Hirsch" meaning deer, and "Berg" meaning mountain or hill. Thus, the name Hershberger likely referred to someone who lived near a mountain or hill where deer were found.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hershberger name appears in a church register from the village of Riquewihr in Alsace, dated 1612. This register mentions a Johannes Herschberger, who was likely one of the first to bear this surname. Over time, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form, Hershberger.

During the 18th century, many Hershbergers emigrated from Alsace to Pennsylvania, where they settled in the areas around Lancaster and Philadelphia. One notable early Hershberger was Christian Hershberger, who was born in 1715 in Alsace and later immigrated to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, where he became a prosperous farmer and landowner.

Another prominent Hershberger was Jacob Hershberger, who was born in 1793 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He was a prominent Mennonite leader and served as a bishop in the Lancaster Mennonite Conference.

In the 19th century, the Hershberger name spread throughout North America as the family continued to grow and disperse. One notable figure from this era was Abraham Hershberger, born in 1832 in Ohio, who was a pioneer and farmer in Indiana.

Moving into the 20th century, one of the most well-known Hershbergers was Amos B. Hershberger, who was born in 1892 in Ohio. He was a renowned educator and advocate for Amish and Mennonite education, serving as the president of Goshen College from 1923 to 1949.

Throughout its history, the Hershberger name has been closely associated with the Mennonite and Amish communities, particularly in Pennsylvania and the Midwestern United States. While the name has its roots in the Alsace region of France and Germany, it has become an integral part of the cultural fabric of these religious communities in North America.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hershberger

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Hershberger.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Hershberger was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Hershberger has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Hershberger was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Hershberger, please contact us.

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