Sherrilyn
A feminine name derived from Sherill, an English diminutive of Sherryn or Cheriton.
Name Census estimates that about 496 living Americans carry the first name Sherrilyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sherrilyn today is around 64 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sherrilyn births was 1962 (37 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sherrilyn. 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
496
~ 1 in 691,037 Americans
Peak year
1962
37 babies that year
Average age
64
years old
2006 SSA rank
#16,814
Tracked since 1939
Popularity
Sherrilyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sherrilyn from the 1930s through to the 2000s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 216 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sherrilyn 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 Sherrilyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sherrilyns live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. California, Illinois, Texas recorded the most babies named Sherrilyn, while Texas, Illinois, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 16 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sherrilyn
The name Sherrilyn is a relatively modern creation, originating in the English-speaking world in the 20th century. It is a feminine form derived from the English name Sherri, which is a shortened version of the name Sherry. Sherry itself is thought to have originated as a diminutive or pet form of the name Sarah, which has Hebrew roots meaning "princess."
While the name Sherrilyn does not have a long historical lineage, it does share some similarities with names of French and Norman origin. The suffix "-lyn" is reminiscent of French names like Gwendolyn or Jacquelyn. However, Sherrilyn's specific combination of sounds and spelling appears to be a more recent invention.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Sherrilyn can be traced back to the mid-20th century in the United States and other English-speaking countries. One of the earliest notable individuals with this name was Sherrilyn Kenyon, an American author of fantasy and paranormal romance novels, born in 1965.
Other prominent individuals named Sherrilyn include Sherrilyn Ifill, an American civil rights lawyer and educator who served as the president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund from 2013 to 2022. Sherrilyn Roush, a Canadian actress and singer, is another individual who has carried this name.
While not as widely documented as some more traditional names, Sherrilyn has also appeared in historical records and literature over the past few decades. For example, Sherrilyn West was a character in the novel "The Inheritance" by Louisa Treger, published in 2011. Additionally, Sherrilyn Fenn is an American actress known for her roles in television shows like "Twin Peaks" and films like "Ruby" in the 1990s.
Overall, while the name Sherrilyn may not have a long and storied history, it has gained popularity and recognition in recent times, particularly in the English-speaking world. Its unique blend of sounds and spelling has made it a distinctive choice for parents seeking a feminine name with a modern flair.
People
Sherrilyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sherrilyn 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
Sherrilyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sherrilyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 496 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sherrilyn 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 691,037 US residents.
Is Sherrilyn a common name?
We classify Sherrilyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 691 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sherrilyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Sherrilyn was 1962, when 37 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sherrilyn is about 64 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Sherrilyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sherrilyn 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.