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

Sherlock, 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 Sherlock surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sherlock in America

Sherlock is the 6511th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sherlock surname appeared 5,211 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Sherlock.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sherlock 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 Sherlock

The surname Sherlock is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "scir" meaning "bright" and "loca" meaning "lock" or "enclosure". This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a bright or illuminated enclosure or settlement.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Sherlock can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were a census-like survey conducted during the reign of King Edward I. The name is listed as "Shirlock" in these records, indicating an early spelling variation.

In the 14th century, the Sherlock surname appeared in various manorial records and court rolls from counties such as Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Nottinghamshire. This suggests that the name was relatively widespread across central and northern England during this time period.

The Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not explicitly mention the surname Sherlock. However, it does record several place names that may have contributed to the formation of the surname, such as Shirley, Sherbourne, and Sherlocks Wood.

Notable individuals with the surname Sherlock throughout history include:

1. Sir Thomas Sherlock (1678-1761), an English clergyman and author who served as the Bishop of Bangor and later the Bishop of London.

2. William Sherlock (1641-1707), an English clergyman and theologian who wrote extensively on various religious and philosophical topics.

3. Robert Sherlock (fl. 1550-1580), an English composer and organist who served as the Master of the Choristers at St. Paul's Cathedral in London.

4. John Sherlock (1676-1728), an English playwright and poet who is best known for his satires and humorous works.

5. James Sherlock (1796-1868), an English artist and engraver who specialized in landscapes and architectural subjects.

While the surname Sherlock has its roots in medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and the establishment of new communities. However, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the early settlements of central and northern England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sherlock

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

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 Sherlock 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 Sherlock 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 Sherlock was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!