2000
#22,591
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,062
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.39
Rare Last name
Sheerin
A surname denoting someone living near a quarry or place where stones were excavated.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,267 Americans carry the last name Sheerin. That puts it at #23,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 270,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sheerin surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Sheerin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 270,524
Census rank
#23,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,105 bearers of the surname Sheerin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheerin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sheerin
The surname Sheerin has its origins in Ireland, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "sìthean," which means "fairy mound" or "hill of the fairies." This suggests that the name was originally given to someone who lived near or was associated with a fairy mound or hill.
The name Sheerin can be traced back to County Cavan in Ulster, where it was particularly prevalent. It is believed to have originated in the Baronies of Cavan and Loughtee, where several townlands and placenames contain variations of the name, such as Sheerinagh and Sheerinclone.
In the Annals of Ulster, a historical chronicle of medieval Ireland, there are references to individuals with the surname Sheerin as early as the late 16th century. One notable entry from 1597 mentions a "Donell O'Sherin" who was involved in a conflict with the English forces in Ulster.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Sheerin was Patrick Sheerin, who was born in County Cavan around 1650. He was a prominent landowner and is mentioned in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665, a tax record of the time.
Another notable figure was James Sheerin (1745-1817), a merchant and shipowner from Belfast who played a significant role in the city's economic growth during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
In the 19th century, a branch of the Sheerin family settled in County Tyrone, where John Sheerin (1824-1901) became a prominent figure in the local community. He served as a magistrate and was actively involved in the development of the town of Dungannon.
The name Sheerin also appears in historical records related to the Irish diaspora. One example is Michael Sheerin (1855-1924), who emigrated from Ireland to the United States and became a successful businessman and politician in New York City.
Throughout its history, the surname Sheerin has been associated with various occupations, including landowners, merchants, politicians, and community leaders, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore the name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sheerin
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheerin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Sheerin bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sheerin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 1,025
- Two or more races3.3% · 37
- Hispanic or Latino1.6% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 18
- Black or African American0.6% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sheerin
Sheerin appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#28,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 820
-242 bearers (-22.8%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 6,376 places
2020
#23,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,105
+285 bearers (+34.8%)
Per 100,000 0.37
Rank movement Up 5,285 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,591 | 1,062 | 0.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,967 | 820 | 0.28 | -242 bearers (-22.8%) | Down 6,376 places |
| 2020 | #23,682 | 1,105 | 0.37 | +285 bearers (+34.8%) | Up 5,285 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sheerin surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28,967 | #23,682 | 18.2% |
| Count | 820 | 1,105 | 34.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.37 | 32.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sheerin bearers went from 820 to 1,105 (+34.8% change). The surname moved up 5,285 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,967 to #23,682.
FAQ
Sheerin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sheerin?
Name Census estimates that about 1,267 living Americans carry the surname Sheerin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 270,524 residents.
How common is Sheerin?
Sheerin ranks #23,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,105 people with the surname Sheerin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,267), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sheerin.
Has Sheerin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sheerin went from 820 recorded bearers to 1,105. That is an increase of 285 (+34.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #28,967 to #23,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Sheerin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheerin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (1.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sheerin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (1,025 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sheerin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (1.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sheerin (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sheerin mean?
A surname denoting someone living near a quarry or place where stones were excavated. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sheerin (0.37 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Sheerin?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.