Meaning and background
The story behind Hershel
Hershel is a Yiddish diminutive of Hirsh, the latter a traditional personal name meaning 'deer'. Behind the Name also records the spelling in American usage, sometimes associated with the similar German surname Herschel. The history of the Yiddish given name and the history of that surname should be kept apart. Hershel makes a recognisable two-syllable call name, but 'deer' comes from the older Hirsh root.
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About Hershel
Recorded as a dog’s name
Hershel appears in 4 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
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Sources and research notes (1)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.