Hirschel
Form of Hirsch or variation of Hershel, Yiddish
"deer"
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Updated Thu Mar 13 2025
Hirschel Origin and Meaning
The name Hirschel is a boy's name meaning "deer".
Hirschel is derived from the Yiddish given name, Hirsh, meaning "deer", which borrows from the Old High German, hiruz. The name might therefore be said to be a variation of Hershel too.
As a given name, Hirsch likely came about as a vernacular form of the Hebrew name Tzvi, also meaning deer or roebuck. It is essentially the Hebrew translated into Yiddish, which is a blend of both High German and Hebrew elements.
Hirschel then likely came about as a diminutive form or a nickname for someone who was deer-like in some way and has since shifted into given name territory. A notable bearer was the 18th century Chief Rabbi of Great Britain and Berlin, and Rabbi of Manheim and Halberstadt, Rabbi Hirschel Levin.