Hershey
A Pennsylvania German surname, most likely a shortened or altered form of a German name such as Hirschi or a related “deer” name.
The #5,623 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 49,943 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The name is generally treated as a Pennsylvania German surname rather than an English one. In the cited historical note, Hershey is equated with German forms such as Hirschi, suggesting a family name that was shortened or reshaped after immigration. The underlying German root may be connected with Hirsch, meaning “deer” or “hart,” though the exact pathway into the modern spelling is not certain.
History
Hershey is especially associated with Pennsylvania German communities in the United States. The spelling became well established in America, where it is now familiar partly through prominent bearers such as the Hershey family of Pennsylvania. Historical surname writers also grouped it with other adapted German-American names that underwent simplification in English-speaking settings.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A historical surname note explicitly treats Hershey as an Americanized German name, showing how many Pennsylvania German surnames were reshaped in everyday use.
From the historical record
“19 Many of the above modified names have become so thoroughly familiar to American ears that no one would think at first sight of seeking a foreign origin for them. Such, among others, are Brubaker, Landis, Hartzell, Yerkes, Hershey, Hoover, Long. In recent years I have found in magazine fiction the names of…”
— Studies in Pennsylvania German Family Names