Sherian
A feminine given name of Persian origin meaning "like a sweet fragrance".
Name Census estimates that about 518 living Americans carry the first name Sherian. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sherian today is around 72 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sherian births was 1946 (56 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sherian. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Sherian is about 72 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Sherians were born before 1964.
People living today
518
~ 1 in 661,688 Americans
Peak year
1946
56 babies that year
Average age
72
years old
1985 SSA rank
#12,213
Tracked since 1939
Popularity
Sherian: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sherian from the 1930s through to the 1980s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 395 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sherian 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 Sherian during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sherians live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. Texas, California, Oklahoma recorded the most babies named Sherian, while Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sherian
The name Sherian is believed to have its origins in the ancient Persian language, with roots tracing back to the 6th century BCE. The name is thought to be derived from the Persian word "shir," which means "lion," and the suffix "-ian," indicating a belonging or connection. This suggests that the name Sherian may have initially been used to describe someone with lion-like qualities, such as strength, courage, or nobility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sherian can be found in the ancient Persian epic poem, the Shahnameh, written by the renowned poet Ferdowsi in the late 10th century CE. In this literary masterpiece, Sherian is mentioned as the name of a brave and valiant warrior who fought alongside the legendary Persian hero, Rostam.
Throughout history, the name Sherian has been associated with various notable figures. In the 12th century, there was a Persian scholar and philosopher named Sherian al-Tusi, who made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and logic. Another prominent individual bearing this name was Sherian Khan, a 16th-century Mughal military commander who served under the reign of Emperor Akbar.
During the medieval period, the name Sherian also found its way into the Islamic world. One noteworthy figure was Sherian al-Razi, a renowned Persian physician and alchemist who lived in the 9th century CE. His influential works on medicine and philosophy were widely studied and translated into various languages, including Latin and Greek.
In more recent times, the name Sherian has been relatively uncommon, but there have been a few notable individuals who carried it. One such person was Sherian Cadogan, a British-born writer and activist who was born in 1947 and dedicated her life to advocating for racial equality and social justice.
Another individual worth mentioning is Sherian Hosseini, an Iranian-American author and journalist who was born in 1961. Her critically acclaimed novel, "The Kite Runner," published in 2003, shed light on the devastating effects of the Afghan war and received numerous literary awards and accolades.
While the name Sherian may not be as widely used today as it once was, its rich historical significance and connection to various cultures and notable figures make it a name with a fascinating and enduring legacy.
People
Sherian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sherian 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
Sherian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sherian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 518 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sherian 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 661,688 US residents.
Is Sherian a common name?
We classify Sherian as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 849 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sherian most popular?
The single biggest year for Sherian was 1946, when 56 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sherian is about 72 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sherian a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sherian 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.