Show ContentsHershberger History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The roots of the distinguished German surname Hershberger lie in Silesia. The name literally means "deer, hart," and is likely of occupational origin. The initial bearer of the name was probably a herdsman or a keeper of deer.

Early Origins of the Hershberger family

The surname Hershberger was first found in Silesia, where the name emerged in mediaeval times as one of the notable families of the region. From the 13th century the surname was identified with the great social and economic evolution which made this territory a landmark contributor to the development of the nation.

Early History of the Hershberger family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Hershberger research. Another 134 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1791, 1808, 1818, 1831, 1869, 1888 and 1896 are included under the topic Early Hershberger History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hershberger Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Hirsch, Hirsche, Hirschel, Hirsh, Hersch, Herschel and many more.

Early Notables of the Hershberger family

Another 35 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Hershberger Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Hershberger Ranking

In the United States, the name Hershberger is the 4,202nd most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 1

Migration of the Hershberger family

Some of the first settlers of this family name or some of its variants were: Joseph Hirsch, who came to Philadelphia in 1731; as did Peter Hirsch in the same year, as well as Simon Hirsch in 1740 and Martin Hirsch in 1749; Adolph Hirsch, who came to Texas in 1859.


Contemporary Notables of the name Hershberger (post 1700) +

  • Willard McKee Hershberger (1910-1940), American Major League Baseball catcher for the Cincinnati Reds from 1938 to 1940
  • Pete Hershberger (b. 1949), American Republican Party politician, Member of the Arizona House of Representatives (2001-)
  • Norman Michael "Mike" Hershberger (1939-2012), American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Chicago White Sox from 1961 to 1971
  • Sally Hershberger, famous American hair stylist
  • Guy F. Hershberger (1896-1989), American Mennonite theologian, educator, historian, and prolific author
  • Ross E. Hershberger, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1956, 1960, 1964; Candidate for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 18th District, 1956, 1958 2


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 6) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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