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"
"charcoal merchant, coal worker"
"success, triumph (from Arabic Najah)"
"from the deep valley, Devon land"
"people's champion"
"winner, victorious fighter"
"son of grace; graceful"
"beloved, darling"
"earth"
"independent one, unbranded steer, nonconformist"
"bright star"
"God is my light, my flame is Yahweh"
"blooming, flourishing"
"fire, blaze (folk association)"
"estate of willows"
"heart"
"hilltop settlement of the friend"
"one of a kind, without equal"
"noble battle maiden (via Audrey)"
"supplanter (through Jay from Jason/James)"
"place at the bow-shaped hill"
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.