Sherah
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "kinswoman" or "related".
Name Census estimates that about 181 living Americans carry the first name Sherah. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sherah today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sherah births was 1981 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sherah. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
181
~ 1 in 1,893,670 Americans
Peak year
1981
19 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
1998 SSA rank
#10,991
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Sherah: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sherah from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 119 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sherah by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sherah during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sherahs live
Origin
Meaning and history of Sherah
The name Sherah is believed to have its origins in the Hebrew language. It is derived from the Hebrew word "sha'ar," which means "gate" or "portal." The name may have been given to girls in ancient times with the hope that they would be a gateway to blessings or a new beginning.
In the Old Testament of the Bible, Sherah is mentioned as the daughter of Ephraim, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. This reference is found in the book of Numbers, chapter 26, verse 46, and in the book of 1 Chronicles, chapter 7, verse 24. However, not much is known about the historical figure of Sherah beyond her brief mention in these biblical texts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sherah can be traced back to the 12th century. Sherah bat Yitzchak, a Jewish woman from France, lived during this time and is mentioned in a few historical records from the period.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Sherah. One such person was Sherah Reyna (1505-1548), a Jewish poet and scholar who lived in Italy during the Renaissance era. She was known for her contributions to Hebrew literature and her teachings on Jewish law and philosophy.
Another notable Sherah was Sherah Sassoon (1834-1909), a member of the influential Sassoon family from Baghdad. She was an influential philanthropist and played a significant role in supporting Jewish communities in various parts of the Middle East.
In the 19th century, Sherah Cornthwaite (1825-1898) was a British author and activist who wrote extensively on women's rights and social reform. She was a prominent figure in the early feminist movement and advocated for educational opportunities for women.
Sherah Kuruppillai (1889-1976) was an Indian social reformer and educator who dedicated her life to improving the lives of women and children in her country. She founded several schools and organizations focused on empowering underprivileged communities.
Sherah Graham (1915-1988) was an American writer and actress who achieved fame for her autobiographical works and her relationships with several prominent literary figures of her time, including F. Scott Fitzgerald and Sheilah Graham.
While these are just a few examples, the name Sherah has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures throughout history, each leaving their own unique mark on the world.
People
Sherah + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sherah as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sherah: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sherah?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 181 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sherah going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,893,670 US residents.
Is Sherah a common name?
We classify Sherah as "Very Rare". It ranks above 72.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 193 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sherah most popular?
The single biggest year for Sherah was 1981, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sherah is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sherah a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sherah in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.