Sherlene
An English feminine name possibly derived from French meaning "demure, modest."
Name Census estimates that about 687 living Americans carry the first name Sherlene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sherlene today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sherlene births was 1958 (40 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sherlene. 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
687
~ 1 in 498,915 Americans
Peak year
1958
40 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
2011 SSA rank
#14,625
Tracked since 1929
Popularity
Sherlene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sherlene from the 1920s through to the 2010s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 315 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sherlene 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 Sherlene during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sherlenes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Georgia, Utah, California recorded the most babies named Sherlene, while Alabama, Virginia, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 7 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sherlene
The given name Sherlene is a relatively modern name that appears to be a combination of the names Sheryl and Arlene. It is an English name that likely emerged in the 20th century.
The first part of the name, "Sher," may be derived from the Old English word "scir," meaning "bright" or "shining." This root is also found in names like Sheryl, Sherina, and Sherman. The second part, "lene," is likely a variant of the French name Arlene, which means "pledge" or "promise."
While there are no known historical references or ancient texts featuring the name Sherlene, it seems to have gained popularity in the mid-20th century. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is Sherlene Auston, an American singer and actress born in 1940. She was known for her roles in films and television shows in the 1960s and 1970s.
Another notable Sherlene is Sherlene Haywood, an American basketball player born in 1955. She played in the Women's Professional Basketball League and the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.
Sherlene Roush, born in 1966, is an American businesswoman and entrepreneur. She founded and served as the CEO of Spiral16, a technology company focused on data management and data protection solutions.
Sherlene Shanklin, born in 1975, is a former professional basketball player from the United States. She played in the WNBA for several teams, including the Cleveland Rockers and the Houston Comets.
Sherlene Moody, born in 1981, is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has released several albums and is known for her work in the country and pop genres.
These are some of the notable individuals throughout history who have carried the given name Sherlene. While the name may not have ancient origins or historical references, it has been used by accomplished individuals in various fields, particularly in the latter half of the 20th century.
People
Sherlene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sherlene 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
Sherlene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sherlene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 687 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sherlene 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 498,915 US residents.
Is Sherlene a common name?
We classify Sherlene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,071 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sherlene most popular?
The single biggest year for Sherlene was 1958, when 40 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sherlene is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sherlene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sherlene 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.