Hershel sits next to 4 phonetic neighbors — Herschel, Hershell, and Marshall are the closest matches by sound. Most share Hershel's Yiddish (from German Hirsch)-origin cluster, so the rhythm and vowel shape carry across the list.
You searched for names like
"deer, little deer"
"from the badger settlement"
"hilltop settlement of the friend"
"belonging to the Tiber (sacred river of Rome)"
"white, silver (ancient root)"
"fire of Yahweh"
"man of law, lawyer"
"three (via Trey prefix)"
"royal dignity, greatness, grandeur"
"growth, abundance (Arabic root interpretation)"
"son of Tay"
"hill"
"God has heard"
"bright, splendid"
"the Lord saves"
"rescuer, redeemer"
"asked of God, divine request"
"healer"
"western meadow, western clearing"
Similar sound: These names share phonetic patterns with Hershel — similar vowel sounds, consonant clusters, or rhythm.
Shared roots: Several names on this list have Yiddish (from German Hirsch) origins, giving them the same cultural heritage as Hershel.
Rhythm: Hershel is a 2-syllable name. Names with the same syllable count tend to feel interchangeable when you're narrowing your list.