Find out how popular the last name Sherfey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sherfey.

Sherfey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sherfey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sherfey in America

Sherfey is the 35489th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sherfey surname appeared 634 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sherfey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sherfey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sherfey

The surname Sherfey is believed to have originated in Germany, and its roots can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name, derived from the German town of Scherfede, located in what is now the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The town's name is thought to come from the Old German words "schar" meaning "forest" and "fede" meaning "clearing" or "pasture."

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sherfey can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the region of Westphalia, dating back to the 13th century. This document mentions a person named "Conradus de Scherfede," suggesting that the surname was already in use at that time.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Sherfey surname began to spread beyond its initial geographical boundaries due to migration and population movements. Records from this period show individuals with the surname residing in various parts of Germany, as well as in neighboring countries like the Netherlands and Switzerland.

In the 18th century, a notable figure bearing the Sherfey surname was Johann Georg Sherfey (1678-1753), a German theologian and author who served as a Lutheran pastor in the town of Langensalza. His writings on religious topics were widely circulated during his lifetime and contributed to the intellectual discourse of the era.

Another prominent individual with the Sherfey surname was Friedrich Wilhelm Sherfey (1792-1868), a German military officer who served in the Prussian Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He gained recognition for his valor and leadership on the battlefield and was awarded several military honors.

As immigration to North America increased in the 19th century, many individuals with the Sherfey surname made their way to the United States and Canada. One notable figure from this era was Henry Sherfey (1823-1901), a German-American farmer and businessman who settled in Pennsylvania and became a respected member of his local community.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the spelling variations of the surname became more standardized, with "Sherfey" emerging as the predominant form in English-speaking countries. However, alternative spellings like "Scherfede" and "Scherfey" continued to be used in various parts of Europe.

Throughout its long history, the Sherfey surname has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, reflecting the rich tapestry of human experience and migration patterns. While its origins can be traced back to a specific location in Germany, the name has since spread across continents, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural fabric of numerous societies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sherfey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sherfey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sherfey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sherfey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sherfey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sherfey, please contact us.

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