UK boy's name
Sherwin
An English name derived from shear, meaning "to cut", and wyn, meaning "friend".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2018. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Sherwin is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Sherwin popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2018 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3959, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 5 births.
This profile covers 31 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 2002 to 2018. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 31 living people in the UK are called Sherwin. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2019 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Sherwin ranked #3959 for boys in England and Wales in 2018, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2002, when 5 boys were registered as Sherwin.
- • About 31 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sherwin as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3959
2018
Births in 2018
4
Latest year
Peak year
2002
5 births
Estimated living
31
2026
Meaning
What does Sherwin mean?
The name Sherwin is an English given name derived from the Old English words "scir," meaning "bright" or "shining," and "wine," meaning "friend." This combination suggests the name means "bright friend" or "shining friend." It is believed to have originated in the Anglo-Saxon period, around the 5th to 11th centuries AD, in what is now England.
While the name Sherwin does not appear to have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it may have been used as a personal name during the Middle Ages in England. Some of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in historical records from the 16th and 17th centuries.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Sherwin was Sir William Sherwin (c. 1555-1637), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I. Another notable figure was Edward Sherwin (c. 1570-1594), an English Catholic martyr who was executed for his involvement in the Gunpowder Plot.
In the 18th century, Sherwin Certon (c. 1710-1788) was a British architect and surveyor, known for his work on several churches and other buildings in London. Around the same time, Sherwin Vaughan (1726-1786) was an English engraver and portrait painter, recognized for his mezzotint engravings.
In the 19th century, Sherwin McIvor (1813-1887) was a Scottish-born American businessman and politician who served as the mayor of Newburgh, New York. Another notable individual was Sherwin Badger (1856-1930), an American businessman and inventor who co-founded the Sherwin-Williams Company, a leading manufacturer of paints and coatings.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the given name Sherwin, which has its roots in Old English and has been used predominantly in England and other English-speaking countries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sherwin over time
The chart below shows babies named Sherwin registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2002 to 2018. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Sherwin, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2018, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sherwin by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sherwin was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #4140 | 19 | 5 |
| 2000s | #3199 | 12 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Sherwin
- Samuel 108,505
- Sebastian 33,008
- Sam 20,889
- Stanley 16,354
- Sonny 15,028
- Sean 15,006
- Scott 12,587
- Seth 9,841
- Syed 9,050
- Stephen 8,884
- Spencer 8,333
- Steven 6,970
FAQ
Sherwin: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sherwin in the UK right now?
In 2018, Sherwin was ranked #3959 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Sherwin most popular?
The peak year on record was 2002, with 5 babies registered as Sherwin in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sherwin?
An English name derived from shear, meaning "to cut", and wyn, meaning "friend".
How many people are called Sherwin in the UK?
A total of 31 babies have been registered as Sherwin across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.