This Jewish family name is not of Russian origin, though already in the 19-th century there was a large number of Jews in Russia having this family name. The name has Polish-Prussian roots. The majority of Russian Ershlers can be found already from the beginning of the 19-th century in Lithuania. The very way of forming this name is the Yiddish one. The name means nothing else but son of Ershl. In turn Ershl is one of the forms of the Yiddish name Gershl (Hershl).

From the beginning of the 19-th century there are mentionings of a big family Ershler in several shtetles on the border of Kovno (Kaunas) and Vilno gubernias. Moreover in the preserved documents it is indicated clearly that many members of the communities where first Ershlers lived moved to Lithuania from Prussia and Saxonia. In the middle of the century part of this family moved to Poltava gubernia.

One can encounter several more russified versions of this name, such as Gershler and Girshler. If people with these names have family roots in the same places, one can safely say they are relatives.

Today one can find many Ershlers in the Northern America. Apparently these are descendants of the Lithuanian and Poltavian branches of the family.