2000
#1,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,668
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.03
Uncommon Last name
Sheridan
Derived from the Irish Ó Sirideáin, meaning "descendant of Sirideán," a personal name of unknown meaning.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,554 Americans carry the last name Sheridan. That puts it at #1,627 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,959 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sheridan 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 Sheridan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
25K
1 in 13,959
Census rank
#1,627
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,412 bearers of the surname Sheridan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1627th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheridan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sheridan
The surname SHERIDAN is of Irish origin, originating in County Cavan in the Ulster province of Ireland. It is believed to have derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Sirideáin," which means "descendants of Sirideán." Sirideán itself is a diminutive form of the name Sraid, meaning "holm," or a small island or piece of land beside a river.
The name SHERIDAN first appeared in records during the 12th century, when it was spelled as "Shyridane" or "O'Shyridane." It is thought to have been associated with the MacCabe family, who were prominent landowners in County Cavan at the time. In the Annals of Ulster, a manuscript dating back to the 15th century, there are references to individuals with the surname SHERIDAN.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name SHERIDAN was James Sheridan, who was born in 1551 in County Cavan. He was a renowned scholar and author, and is considered one of the first to publish works in the Irish language. Another notable figure was Thomas Sheridan, born in 1646, who was a renowned linguist and scholar of the Irish language.
In the 17th century, the SHERIDAN family played a significant role in the Irish Rebellion of 1641, with several members participating in the uprising against English rule. Patrick Sheridan, born in 1609, was a prominent leader in the rebellion and was later executed for his role in the conflict.
The name SHERIDAN also has a strong connection to the literary world. Richard Brinsley Sheridan, born in 1751, was a renowned playwright and poet, best known for his comedies "The Rivals" and "The School for Scandal." His son, Thomas Sheridan, born in 1775, was also a playwright and actor.
Another famous figure with the SHERIDAN surname was Philip Henry Sheridan, born in 1831, who was a celebrated Union Army general during the American Civil War. He was known for his aggressive tactics and played a crucial role in several important battles, including the Battle of Cedar Creek.
Throughout history, the SHERIDAN name has been associated with various professions, including scholars, writers, rebels, and military leaders, reflecting the diverse and rich heritage of this Irish surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sheridan
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheridan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Sheridan 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 Sheridan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 18,941
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 744
- Black or African American3.4% · 727
- Two or more races2.9% · 619
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 198
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 183
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sheridan
Sheridan 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
#1,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,177
+509 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 7.52
Rank movement Down 102 places
2020
#1,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,412
-765 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 7.16
Rank movement Down 4 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,521 | 21,668 | 8.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,623 | 22,177 | 7.52 | +509 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 102 places |
| 2020 | #1,627 | 21,412 | 7.16 | -765 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 4 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 Sheridan 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 | #1,623 | #1,627 | -0.2% |
| Count | 22,177 | 21,412 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 7.52 | 7.16 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sheridan bearers went from 22,177 to 21,412 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 4 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,623 to #1,627.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sheridan
FAQ
Sheridan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sheridan?
Name Census estimates that about 24,554 living Americans carry the surname Sheridan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,959 residents.
How common is Sheridan?
Sheridan ranks #1,627 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 21,412 people with the surname Sheridan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,554), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Sheridan.
Has Sheridan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sheridan went from 22,177 recorded bearers to 21,412. That is a decrease of 765 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,623 to #1,627.
What does the Census say about the background of Sheridan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheridan, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Black (3.4%). 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 Sheridan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (18,941 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sheridan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Hispanic (3.5%), Black (3.4%). 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 Sheridan (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 Sheridan mean?
Derived from the Irish Ó Sirideáin, meaning "descendant of Sirideán," a personal name of unknown meaning. 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 Sheridan (7.16 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 Sheridan?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.