Hershey
Derived from a place name meaning "deer wood" or "stag wood" in Old English.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,198 Americans carry the last name Hershey. That puts it at #5,623 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,618 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hershey surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
7.2K
1 in 47,618
Census rank
#5,623
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,182 bearers of the surname Hershey in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5623rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hershey, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hershey
The surname Hershey is of German origin, derived from the German town of Hersfeld, located in the state of Hesse. The name originated in the early 13th century and was initially spelled as Herschfeld or Herschfelder.
Records from the 14th century indicate that families with the surname Hershey were living in various parts of central Germany, particularly in the regions of Hesse, Thuringia, and Saxony. The earliest known record of the name dates back to 1328, when a certain Johannes Herschfelder was mentioned in a document from the town of Eisenach.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, several Hershey families migrated to the United States, primarily settling in Pennsylvania and other parts of the mid-Atlantic region. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was in 1727, when Christian Hershey, born in 1701 in Switzerland, arrived in Philadelphia.
The name Hershey gained particular prominence in the late 19th century with the success of Milton S. Hershey (1857-1945), the founder of the Hershey Chocolate Company. Hershey was born in Derry Township, Pennsylvania, and established his chocolate business in the town that now bears his name, Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Other notable individuals with the surname Hershey include:
1. Andrew Hershey (1801-1868), an American businessman and founder of the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania.
2. Katharine Hershey (1915-1997), an American philanthropist and heiress to the Hershey Chocolate Company fortune.
3. Lew Hershey (1909-1986), an American baseball player who played for the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Red Sox.
4. John D. Hershey (1856-1929), an American politician who served as the 18th Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania.
5. Jacob Hershey (1776-1849), an American farmer and landowner in Pennsylvania, known for his involvement in the Underground Railroad.
While the surname Hershey originated in Germany, it has become closely associated with the chocolate industry and the town of Hershey, Pennsylvania, due to the success and legacy of Milton S. Hershey and his family.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hershey
Among Census respondents with the surname Hershey, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Hershey bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Hershey surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.1%
- Hispanic or Latino1.5%
- Two or more races1.1%
- Black or African American1.1%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Hershey surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,387 | #5,623 | -4.4% |
| Count | 5,951 | 6,182 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.21 | 2.10 | -5.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Hershey bearers went from 5,951 to 6,182 (+3.9% change). The surname moved down 236 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,387 to #5,623.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hershey
FAQ
Hershey surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Hershey?
The surname Hershey holds position #5,623 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 7,198 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 2.10 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Hershey surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hershey, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.5%) and Two or More Races (1.1%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.