2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Sherald
An English surname derived from Old English words meaning "bright army."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Sherald. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sherald 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.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Sherald in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sherald, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.6%. The next largest groups are White (17.4%) and Hispanic (7.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sherald
The surname Sherald is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from an Old English word "scir," meaning "bright" or "shining," combined with the suffix "-ald," which was a common ending for personal names during that time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sherald dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Scirald." This suggests that the name had already been in use for some time before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
The name Sherald was particularly prevalent in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the West Midlands region of England. It is believed that the name may have originated from these areas or nearby villages or settlements with similar place names.
In the 13th century, a notable figure named John Sherald was recorded as a landholder in the village of Sherborne, Gloucestershire. This suggests that the name may have been associated with this location or derived from a similar place name.
Another early record of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which documented landowners and property holders in England. The name "Ricardus Sherald" is listed as a freeholder in the county of Worcestershire.
During the 16th century, a prominent individual named William Sherald (1552-1611) was a wealthy merchant and alderman in the city of London. He was known for his philanthropic efforts and for founding a school in the city.
In the 18th century, a notable figure named Thomas Sherald (1719-1788) was a renowned English painter and portrait artist. He was celebrated for his portraits of aristocratic figures and members of the British royal family.
Another individual of note was Sir Michael Sherald (1790-1867), a British army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a Member of Parliament.
Throughout its history, the surname Sherald has maintained a strong presence in England, particularly in the West Midlands region. While it has undergone some variations in spelling over time, the name's origins can be traced back to the Old English language and its connection to the concept of brightness or radiance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sherald
Among Census respondents with the surname Sherald, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.6%. The next largest groups are White (17.4%) and Hispanic (7.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Sherald 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 Sherald surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American71.6% · 78
- White17.4% · 19
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 8
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sherald
Sherald 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+3 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,733 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-23 bearers (-17.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,158 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 5,733 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -23 bearers (-17.4%) | Down 21,158 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 Sherald 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 | #129,047 | #150,205 | -16.4% |
| Count | 132 | 109 | -17.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sherald bearers went from 132 to 109 (-17.4% change). The surname moved down 21,158 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #150,205.
FAQ
Sherald surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sherald?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Sherald. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Sherald?
Sherald ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Sherald. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Sherald.
Has Sherald become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sherald went from 132 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 23 (-17.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Sherald?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sherald, the largest self-reported group is Black at 71.6%. The next largest groups are White (17.4%) and Hispanic (7.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sherald in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.6% (78 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sherald appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (71.6%), White (17.4%), Hispanic (7.3%). 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 Sherald (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 Sherald mean?
An English surname derived from Old English words meaning "bright army." 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 Sherald (0.04 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 have the last name Sherald?
Want to know how common the surname Sherald is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.