2000
#9,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.16
Rare Last name
Sherwin
From an English place name meaning "bright or clear water," or referring to someone who lived near such water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,425 Americans carry the last name Sherwin. That puts it at #10,266 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sherwin 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 Sherwin with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,074
Census rank
#10,266
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,987 bearers of the surname Sherwin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10266th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sherwin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sherwin
The surname Sherwin is of English origin, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "scir," meaning "bright" or "shining," and "wine," meaning "friend." The combination of these two words suggests that the name originally referred to a person with a sunny or radiant personality.
The name is believed to have originated in the southern counties of England, particularly in regions like Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. It is also possible that the name has roots in the village of Sherwin, located in the county of Nottinghamshire.
In the Domesday Book, a record of landowners in England compiled in 1086, there are several entries for individuals with the surname Sherwin or similar spellings, such as Sherwine and Scherwyne. These early records indicate that the name was already well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Sherwin was Robert Sherwin, a landowner from Oxfordshire who lived in the early 13th century. Another notable figure was William Sherwin, a Catholic priest and martyr who was executed in London in 1584 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I for his involvement in the Throckmorton Plot.
In the 17th century, a prominent member of the Sherwin family was William Sherwin (1607-1691), an English mathematician and clergyman who served as a fellow of the Royal Society. He made significant contributions to the study of algebra and authored several mathematical works.
During the 18th century, John Sherwin (1708-1765) was a renowned portrait painter and engraver who worked in London. His portraits and engravings of notable figures of the time, including members of the aristocracy and clergy, are highly regarded and can be found in various art collections.
Another important figure associated with the surname Sherwin was John Keyes Sherwin (1751-1790), a British naval officer and explorer who participated in several voyages to the Pacific Ocean. He served under the command of Captain James Cook and played a role in the exploration and mapping of various islands in the region.
These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Sherwin who have left their mark on history. The name has a rich heritage and has been carried by people from various walks of life, reflecting its enduring presence in England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sherwin
Among Census respondents with the surname Sherwin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Sherwin 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 Sherwin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 2,762
- Two or more races3.1% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 85
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 31
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sherwin
Sherwin 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
#9,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,296
+174 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 266 places
2020
#10,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,987
-309 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 1.00
Rank movement Down 445 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,555 | 3,122 | 1.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,821 | 3,296 | 1.12 | +174 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 266 places |
| 2020 | #10,266 | 2,987 | 1.00 | -309 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 445 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 Sherwin 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 | #9,821 | #10,266 | -4.5% |
| Count | 3,296 | 2,987 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.00 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sherwin bearers went from 3,296 to 2,987 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 445 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,821 to #10,266.
FAQ
Sherwin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sherwin?
Name Census estimates that about 3,425 living Americans carry the surname Sherwin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,074 residents.
How common is Sherwin?
Sherwin ranks #10,266 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,987 people with the surname Sherwin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,425), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Sherwin.
Has Sherwin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sherwin went from 3,296 recorded bearers to 2,987. That is a decrease of 309 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,821 to #10,266.
What does the Census say about the background of Sherwin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sherwin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Sherwin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (2,762 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sherwin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Sherwin (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 Sherwin mean?
From an English place name meaning "bright or clear water," or referring to someone who lived near such water. 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 Sherwin (1.00 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 Sherwin?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.