2000
#6,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,988
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.85
Rare Last name
Sherlock
A surname derived from the Old English elements "scir," meaning bright or fair, and "lock," referring to hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,293 Americans carry the last name Sherlock. That puts it at #7,014 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,756 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sherlock 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 Sherlock with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,756
Census rank
#7,014
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,616 bearers of the surname Sherlock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7014th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sherlock, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sherlock
Among Census respondents with the surname Sherlock, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sherlock 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 Sherlock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 4,100
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 148
- Two or more races3.0% · 137
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 121
- Black or African American1.4% · 65
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 45
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sherlock
Sherlock 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
#6,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,211
+223 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Down 218 places
2020
#7,014
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,616
-595 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 1.54
Rank movement Down 503 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,293 | 4,988 | 1.85 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,511 | 5,211 | 1.77 | +223 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 218 places |
| 2020 | #7,014 | 4,616 | 1.54 | -595 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 503 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 Sherlock 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 | #6,511 | #7,014 | -7.7% |
| Count | 5,211 | 4,616 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.77 | 1.54 | -12.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sherlock bearers went from 5,211 to 4,616 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 503 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,511 to #7,014.
FAQ
Sherlock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sherlock?
Name Census estimates that about 5,293 living Americans carry the surname Sherlock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,756 residents.
How common is Sherlock?
Sherlock ranks #7,014 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,616 people with the surname Sherlock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,293), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Sherlock.
Has Sherlock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sherlock went from 5,211 recorded bearers to 4,616. That is a decrease of 595 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,511 to #7,014.
What does the Census say about the background of Sherlock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sherlock, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Sherlock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (4,100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sherlock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Sherlock (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 Sherlock mean?
A surname derived from the Old English elements "scir," meaning bright or fair, and "lock," referring to hair. 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 Sherlock (1.54 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 are called Sherlock?
You can see how many people have the last name Sherlock on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.