A 1910s favorite, climbing again.
Popularity of Hershey since 1914
Babies named Hershey per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2022, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Hershey's real moment was 1914.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 13 |
| 1920s | 31 |
| 1930s | 25 |
| 1940s | 35 |
| 1950s | 9 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 16 |
Meaning & origin
Hershey is a rare given name that first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1914, the same year as its peak usage. It has never ranked among the top 1000 names, with an incidence of fewer than 1 in 10,000 births in recent years. The name's trajectory has been rising since 2020, suggesting renewed interest. The strong association with Milton S. Hershey and the Hershey chocolate company gives the name a distinctly American, sweet-toothed appeal. Its top states are not recorded due to low numbers, but it is most likely used in Pennsylvania, home of Hershey, Pennsylvania. As a surname-turned-first-name, it shares the trend of using family names as given names, popularized by elite families and later mainstream culture.
Hershey is an English surname derived from the place name Hershey in Cambridgeshire. The place name likely combines the Old English personal name 'Hersg' or 'horse' with 'ēg' meaning 'island' or 'dry ground in a marsh'. As a given name, it has been used sparingly, primarily in the United States, and is strongly associated with the Hershey chocolate company founded by Milton S. Hershey in the late 19th century.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Hersh, Hershy
Variants: Hershy
Sibling names for Hershey
Names that share Hershey's style, for a brother or sister.
