2000
#3,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,693
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.96
Uncommon Last name
Hershberger
An Americanized surname of German origin, derived from the occupational name for a deer hunter or gamekeeper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,832 Americans carry the last name Hershberger. That puts it at #2,155 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,201 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hershberger 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
19K
1 in 18,201
Census rank
#2,155
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,422 bearers of the surname Hershberger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2155th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hershberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.2%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hershberger
Among Census respondents with the surname Hershberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.2%) and Hispanic (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Hershberger 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 Hershberger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.0% · 15,931
- Two or more races1.2% · 199
- Hispanic or Latino1.2% · 197
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 38
- Black or African American0.2% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hershberger
Hershberger 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
#2,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,357
+3,664 bearers (+34.3%)
Per 100,000 4.87
Rank movement Up 585 places
2020
#2,155
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,422
+2,065 bearers (+14.4%)
Per 100,000 5.49
Rank movement Up 368 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,108 | 10,693 | 3.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,523 | 14,357 | 4.87 | +3,664 bearers (+34.3%) | Up 585 places |
| 2020 | #2,155 | 16,422 | 5.49 | +2,065 bearers (+14.4%) | Up 368 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 Hershberger 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 | #2,523 | #2,155 | 14.6% |
| Count | 14,357 | 16,422 | 14.4% |
| Per 100K | 4.87 | 5.49 | 12.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hershberger bearers went from 14,357 to 16,422 (+14.4% change). The surname moved up 368 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,523 to #2,155.
FAQ
Hershberger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hershberger?
Name Census estimates that about 18,832 living Americans carry the surname Hershberger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,201 residents.
How common is Hershberger?
Hershberger ranks #2,155 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,422 people with the surname Hershberger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,832), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Hershberger.
Has Hershberger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hershberger went from 14,357 recorded bearers to 16,422. That is an increase of 2,065 (+14.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,523 to #2,155.
What does the Census say about the background of Hershberger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hershberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.2%) and Hispanic (1.2%). 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 Hershberger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.0% (15,931 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hershberger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.0%), Two or More Races (1.2%), Hispanic (1.2%). 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 Hershberger (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 Hershberger mean?
An Americanized surname of German origin, derived from the occupational name for a deer hunter or gamekeeper. 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 Hershberger (5.49 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 last name Hershberger?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Hershberger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.