Sherard
A masculine English name derived from the Old English words "scir" (bright) and "ard" (hardy).
Name Census estimates that about 510 living Americans carry the first name Sherard. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Sherard today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sherard births was 1975 (24 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sherard. 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
510
~ 1 in 672,067 Americans
Peak year
1975
24 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2014 SSA rank
#13,746
Tracked since 1967
Popularity
Sherard: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sherard from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 180 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sherard 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 Sherard during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sherards live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. New York, Florida, Georgia recorded the most babies named Sherard, while Georgia, Florida, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 5 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sherard
The name Sherard is believed to have its origins in the Old French language, deriving from the words "cher" meaning "dear" and "hart" meaning "stag" or "deer." It is thought to have emerged around the 12th or 13th century in areas of modern-day France and England.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Sherard can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Serardus," which is likely an early spelling variation.
In the 13th century, a notable individual named Sherard de Wissant was a prominent landowner and knight in Picardy, France. He is mentioned in several historical records from that time period, indicating the name's use among the French nobility.
During the Renaissance era, Sherard Buckley (1536-1610) was an English politician and Member of Parliament who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the administration of the County Palatine of Lancaster.
In the 17th century, Sherard Cowper (1658-1737) was a notable English botanist and traveler. He studied plants and collected specimens during his travels through Europe and the Mediterranean region, contributing significantly to the field of botany.
Another prominent figure was Sherard Osborn (1822-1875), a British naval officer and explorer. He authored several books about his voyages and expeditions, including "Stray Leaves from an Arctic Journal" and "The Discovery of the North-West Passage."
In the 19th century, Sherard Vines (1890-1963) was a British film director and producer. He directed several silent films during the early days of cinema, including "The Boxer's Romance" and "The Menace of London."
While the name Sherard has its roots in Old French and was used primarily in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, it has since been adopted and used in various other cultures and regions around the world.
People
Sherard + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sherard 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
Sherard: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sherard?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 510 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sherard 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 672,067 US residents.
Is Sherard a common name?
We classify Sherard as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 537 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sherard most popular?
The single biggest year for Sherard was 1975, when 24 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sherard is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sherard a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sherard in the SSA data are male. 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.