Herschell is of Germanic origin, derived from the Old High German elements 'hersi' meaning 'army' and 'skilja' meaning 'shield'. It is a variant spelling of Herschel, which was popularized in the 18th century by the astronomer Sir William Herschel. This name is unique yet accessible, offering parents an unusual yet dignified choice for their child.
The name Herschell experienced significant popularity fluctuations over the years, peaking during World War I and gradually declining thereafter. From 1897 to 1924, there were consistently high numbers of births with the name Herschell, reaching a peak of 33 births in 1924. However, from 1925 onwards, the number of annual births with this name began to decrease significantly, dropping to as low as 5 births per year by the late 1960s and remaining relatively stable at that level through the 1980s and 1990s. Overall, there were a total of 1059 births with the name Herschell over this period.