Where does “Hershel” come from?

Hershel comes from Yiddish הירשעל, derived from Yiddish הירש, from Middle High German hirz, from Old High German hiruz, from Proto-Germanic herutaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱerh₂-.

Ancestry of “Hershel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Yiddishהירשעל—
2Yiddishהירשdeer, buck
3Middle High Germanhirz—
4Old High Germanhiruzdeer
5Proto-West Germanicherutdeer, stag
6Proto-Germanicherutazdeer, stag
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱerh₂-head, top; horn
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ḱerh₂- →Every word from Proto-Germanic herutaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic herut →