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

Sherry, 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 Sherry surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sherry in America

Sherry is the 4846th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sherry surname appeared 7,271 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 Sherry.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sherry 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 Sherry

The surname Sherry is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "scir," meaning "bright" or "shining." It is believed to have originated in the county of Surrey, England, where it was initially used as a descriptive name for someone with a fair complexion or shining appearance.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Sherry can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Scireman," indicating a person from the shire or county. During the Middle Ages, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Schirrye, Schirrey, and Shurry, before settling on the modern form of Sherry.

One notable historical figure bearing the Sherry surname was Sir Richard Sherry, born in 1505 in Devon, England. He was a prominent lawyer and served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another early bearer of the name was John Sherry, a merchant from Bristol, England, who was active in the 16th century and is credited with introducing the fortified wine known as sherry to England from Spain.

In the 17th century, the name Sherry was associated with the town of Sherrington in Wiltshire, England, which was formerly known as Sherryngton. This place name connection likely contributed to the prevalence of the surname in that region.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Sherry surname was William Sherry, born in 1620 in Sherrington, Wiltshire. He later emigrated to the American colonies and settled in Virginia, becoming one of the first bearers of the name in the New World.

Another notable figure was Robert Sherry, born in 1675 in Somerset, England. He was a renowned scholar and linguist, known for his translations of Persian poetry and his contributions to the study of Eastern languages.

In the 18th century, the name Sherry gained prominence in Scotland, where it was associated with the town of Sherry in Aberdeenshire. One prominent Scottish bearer of the name was Andrew Sherry, born in 1740, who served as a military officer during the American Revolutionary War.

As the Sherry surname spread across the United Kingdom and later to other parts of the world, it became associated with various occupations and professions. In the 19th century, notable individuals with this surname included the English painter John Sherry, born in 1805, and the American lawyer and politician Benjamin Sherry, born in 1825 in New York.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sherry

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

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

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

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