Hershy is a Yiddish pet form of Hersh or Hershel, from the Yiddish word hirsh, which means "deer" or "stag". Among Ashkenazi Jews the name is traditionally paired with the Hebrew Tzvi, which has the same meaning, and it is used almost exclusively in Orthodox communities. In the United States Hershy has climbed from number 3046 in 2015 to number 1981 in 2025, its best rank so far, with 77 boys given the name.