Sherlita
A feminine name with uncertain origins, potentially meaning "little one worthy of cherishing".
Name Census estimates that about 22 living Americans carry the first name Sherlita. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sherlita today is around 54 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sherlita births was 1972 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sherlita. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Sherlita. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
22
~ 1 in 15,579,743 Americans
Peak year
1972
8 babies that year
Average age
54
years old
1974 SSA rank
#9,983
Tracked since 1971
Census
Sherlita in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 113 people with the first name Sherlita, which placed it at #51,508 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#51,508
National first-name rank
People counted
113
113 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.0
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
56.6% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sherlita
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sherlita is Black at 56.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (39.8%) and White (1.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Sherlita described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Sherlita at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American56.6% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander39.8% · 45
- White1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Popularity
Sherlita: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Sherlita 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 Sherlita during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 25 | 25 |
Geography
Where Sherlitas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Sherlita
The name Sherlita is a unique and intriguing moniker with a rich tapestry of cultural influences. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Germanic tribes that once roamed the vast expanses of Europe. The root of the name, "Sherl," is believed to have stemmed from the Old Germanic word "sker," which translates to "bright" or "shining." This linguistic connection hints at the name's association with luminosity and radiance.
Over the centuries, the name underwent various transformations, with subtle variations in spelling and pronunciation emerging across different regions. One of the earliest recorded instances of a similar name can be found in the Codex Argenteus, an ancient manuscript dating back to the 6th century AD, which features the name "Skerlitha."
As the name traveled through time and across borders, it took on unique cultural nuances and connotations. In the medieval era, a notable figure bearing a variant of the name was Sherlita von Württemberg, a German noblewoman who lived during the 12th century and was renowned for her patronage of the arts and her influential role in the court of the Holy Roman Empire.
The name Sherlita also found resonance in the realms of literature and folklore. In the epic tales of the Norse sagas, there is mention of a valiant warrior named Sherlita, whose exploits and bravery were celebrated in oral traditions passed down through generations.
As cultures intermingled and globalization took hold, the name Sherlita spread to far-flung corners of the world. In the 16th century, a Spanish explorer named Sherlita de Alvarado was among the first Europeans to set foot in what is now known as Mexico, leaving an indelible mark on the annals of exploration and colonization.
Another notable figure in history was Sherlita Nightingale, a pioneering British nurse who lived in the 19th century and played a pivotal role in revolutionizing healthcare practices during the Crimean War. Her unwavering dedication and compassion inspired countless individuals to pursue careers in nursing and healthcare.
In the realm of arts and culture, Sherlita Kahlo, a Mexican artist of the 20th century, left an enduring legacy with her vibrant and emotionally charged paintings that explored themes of identity, suffering, and resilience. Her work continues to captivate audiences worldwide and has become a cornerstone of modern art.
While the name Sherlita may not be as common in contemporary times, its rich heritage and diverse cultural influences contribute to its enduring allure and mystique. From ancient Germanic roots to modern-day artistic expressions, the name Sherlita carries with it a tapestry of stories, histories, and remarkable individuals who have left an indelible mark on the world.
People
Sherlita + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sherlita 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
Sherlita: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sherlita?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 22 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sherlita 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 15,579,743 US residents.
Is Sherlita a common name?
We classify Sherlita as "Very Rare". It ranks above 41.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 25 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sherlita most popular?
The single biggest year for Sherlita was 1972, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sherlita is about 54 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Sherlita in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 113 people with the name Sherlita, or 0.04 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #51,508 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Sherlita in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Sherlita?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Sherlita appears almost entirely female. Of the 111 people counted with this name, 100.0% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Sherlita?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sherlita is Black at 56.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (39.8%) and White (1.8%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Sherlita most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Sherlita in the 2020 Census, accounting for 56.6% (64 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Sherlita in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sherlita a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sherlita 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.
Is Sherlita still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sherlita in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Sherlita can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How common is the name Sherlita?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.