NameCensus.

UK surname

Sherburn

A variant of the habitational surname derived from a location called Sherborn or Sherbourne.

In the 1881 census there were 225 people recorded with the Sherburn surname, ranking it #11,931 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 441, ranked #10,971, up from #11,931 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Snaith, Howden and Rotherham. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wakefield, East Riding of Yorkshire and Copeland.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sherburn is 465 in 2002. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 96.0%.

1881 census count

225

Ranked #11,931

Modern count

441

2016, ranked #10,971

Peak year

2002

465 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sherburn had 225 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #11,931 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 441 in 2016, ranked #10,971.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 396 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Sherburn surname distribution map

The map shows where the Sherburn surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Sherburn surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sherburn over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 168 #11,873
1861 historical 176 #13,335
1881 historical 225 #11,931
1891 historical 334 #10,198
1901 historical 390 #9,650
1911 historical 396 #9,354
1997 modern 439 #10,264
1998 modern 450 #10,409
1999 modern 448 #10,482
2000 modern 457 #10,300
2001 modern 446 #10,312
2002 modern 465 #10,163
2003 modern 435 #10,571
2004 modern 419 #10,903
2005 modern 407 #11,041
2006 modern 404 #11,159
2007 modern 392 #11,550
2008 modern 398 #11,525
2009 modern 420 #11,266
2010 modern 440 #11,101
2011 modern 425 #11,285
2012 modern 416 #11,372
2013 modern 432 #11,210
2014 modern 446 #10,981
2015 modern 439 #11,035
2016 modern 441 #10,971

Geography

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Where Sherburns are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Snaith, Howden, Rotherham, Whalley and Leeds. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wakefield, East Riding of Yorkshire and Copeland. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Snaith Yorkshire, West Riding
2 Howden Yorkshire, East Riding
3 Rotherham Yorkshire, West Riding
4 Whalley Lancashire
5 Leeds Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wakefield 015 Wakefield
2 Wakefield 012 Wakefield
3 East Riding of Yorkshire 038 East Riding of Yorkshire
4 Wakefield 018 Wakefield
5 Copeland 008 Copeland

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sherburn

These lists show first names that appear often with the Sherburn surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sherburn

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sherburn, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Retired Professionals

Group

Small Town Suburbia

Nationally, the Sherburn surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Sherburn household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is predominantly comprised of married couples with no resident dependent children, living in areas characterised neither by under-occupancy nor overcrowding throughout the UK in or adjacent to small towns. White ethnic groups and affiliation with Christianity predominates. Housing tends to be predominantly semi-detached or detached and workers are employed principally in managerial and professional occupations, with semi-skilled occupations also in evidence. These areas of the Supergroup are of higher population density.

Wider pattern

Typically married but no longer with resident dependent children, these well-educated households either remain working in their managerial, professional, administrative or other skilled occupations, or are retired from them – the modal individual age is beyond normal retirement age. Underoccupied detached and semi-detached properties predominate, and unpaid care is more prevalent than reported disability. The prevalence of this Supergroup outside most urban conurbations indicates that rural lifestyles prevail, typically sustained by using two or more cars per household.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles

Group

Inner London Working Professionals

Within London, Sherburn is most associated with areas classed as Inner London Working Professionals, part of Professional Employment and Family Lifecycles. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These primarily Inner London neighbourhoods are more densely populated than the Supergroup average. Residents have a younger over-all age profile than the Supergroup as a whole, and are less likely to be owner occupiers. Full time employment is more common than elsewhere in the Supergroup and multiple car ownership is uncommon. Chinese and non-EU-born European migrants are less in evidence than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

These neighbourhoods house people of all ages, predominantly of White British or European extraction. Resident turnover is low. Religious affiliation is less common than average and tends to be Christian if expressed. Homeownership, typically of terraced houses, is common but use of the social rented sector is not. Employment is typically in professional, managerial and associate professional or technical occupations. There are few full-time students. Level 4 qualifications are common. More households lack dependent children than have them which, considered alongside low levels of crowding and over-all age structure, indicates that many households may be post child-rearing and in late middle age. Incidence of disability is low, as is residence in communal establishments.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sherburn is most concentrated in decile 6 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

6
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sherburn falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

5
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sherburn is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 25-30 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

5
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sherburn, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sherburn

The surname Sherburn originates from the Yorkshire region of England, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "scir" meaning bright or shining, and "burna" meaning a stream or brook, indicating that the name likely referred to a bright or shining stream or brook in the area.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Sherburn can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry refers to a place called "Shireburne" in Yorkshire, which is believed to be the origin of the surname.

In the 13th century, the name appeared as "Shyrburn" and "Shyreburn" in various historical records, reflecting the evolving spellings of the time. Several variations of the name existed, including "Shirburn," "Shireburn," and "Shyrburne," before the spelling "Sherburn" became more standardized.

One notable bearer of the Sherburn surname was Sir William Sherburn, a member of the English gentry who lived in the 15th century. He was a prominent landowner and held significant influence in Yorkshire. Another early record mentions John Sherburn, born around 1480, who served as a priest in the village of Sherburn-in-Elmet, Yorkshire.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Sherburn continued to be associated with Yorkshire and the surrounding areas. Thomas Sherburn, born in 1551, was a scholar and theologian who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. Another individual, Robert Sherburn, born in 1672, was a renowned lawyer and judge in the city of York.

In the 18th century, the name Sherburn appeared in various parts of England, as well as in the American colonies. Notable individuals include Joseph Sherburn, born in 1707 in Gloucestershire, England, who later emigrated to Massachusetts and became a prominent merchant and landowner. Another notable figure was John Sherburn, born in 1758 in Virginia, who served as a soldier in the American Revolutionary War.

The 19th century saw the Sherburn surname spread further across England and the United States. Henry Sherburn, born in 1801 in Yorkshire, was a well-known author and poet, while William Sherburn, born in 1820 in Ohio, became a successful businessman and philanthropist in the American Midwest.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sherburn families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sherburn surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 145 Sherburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.67x.

County Total Index
Yorkshire 145 6.67x
Lancashire 46 1.77x
Middlesex 8 0.36x
Oxfordshire 8 5.90x
Cheshire 7 1.44x
Essex 2 0.46x
Lincolnshire 2 0.57x
Berkshire 1 0.61x
Durham 1 0.15x
Gloucestershire 1 0.23x
Hertfordshire 1 0.66x
Northumberland 1 0.31x
Warwickshire 1 0.18x
Westmorland 1 2.07x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hook in Yorkshire leads with 17 Sherburns recorded in 1881 and an index of 355.65x.

Place Total Index
Hook 17 355.65x
Howden 15 1013.51x
Padiham 14 222.58x
Sculcoates 14 40.60x
Doncaster 11 69.23x
Leeds 11 8.96x
Accrington 10 42.23x
Kimberworth 10 82.85x
Habergham Eaves 8 33.61x
Hailey 8 842.11x
Altrincham 7 82.64x
Islington London 7 3.29x
Rothwell 7 159.45x
Goole 6 164.84x
Pontefract 6 127.93x
Rawcliffe In Goole 6 483.87x
York St Denis In 6 631.58x
Oswaldtwistle 5 54.35x
Simonstone 5 1562.50x
Swinton In Rotherham 5 86.96x
York St Mary 5 55.49x
Preston 3 4.31x
Selby 3 65.93x
Tanshelf 3 172.41x
Bellasize 2 2222.22x
Cliff Cum Lund 2 416.67x
Grays Thurrock 2 49.63x
Heslington St Lawrence 2 1052.63x
Knedlington 2 4000.00x
Rotherham 2 16.31x
Wortley In Bramley 2 11.61x
Allerton Bywater 1 84.75x
Aston 1 0.66x
Bardney 1 95.24x
Bishopwearmouth 1 1.78x
Breighton Cum Gunby 1 714.29x
Bubwith 1 256.41x
Clee With Weelsby 1 13.02x
Cudworth 1 128.21x
Dillicar 1 1111.11x
East Hardwick 1 588.24x
Hammersmith London 1 1.85x
Harwood Dale 1 625.00x
Holy Trinity 1 1.91x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 1 5.13x
Newchurch 1 4.69x
Reading St Giles 1 6.19x
St Albans 1 32.26x
St Mary 1 68.97x
Stroud 1 11.93x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sherburn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 12
Sarah 10
Annie 7
Elizabeth 7
Ann 6
Hannah 6
Jane 6
Eliza 5
Alice 4
Edith 3
Ellen 3
Martha 3
Ada 2
Emma 2
Harriet 2
Isabella 2
Kate 2
Louisa 2
Margaret 2
Maria 2
Ruth 2
Agnes 1
Betty 1
Elenor 1
Elizth. 1
Emily 1
Fanny 1
Florence 1
Frances 1
Harriett 1
Lucy 1
Lydia 1
Minnie 1
Nancy 1
Susanna 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sherburn surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 21
William 17
Thomas 13
George 12
Joseph 8
Arthur 4
Fred 4
Harry 3
Tom 3
Wm. 3
Charles 2
David 2
Edwin 2
Henry 2
James 2
Robert 2
Alfred 1
Daniel 1
Ephraim 1
Ernest 1
Frank 1
Fredk 1
Fredk. 1
Fredrick 1
Geo.Thos. 1
Herbert 1
Hobson 1
Jno. 1
Martin 1
Mathew 1
Richard 1
Rob 1
Saml. 1
Samuel 1
Scholey 1
Thos. 1
Thos.H. 1

FAQ

Sherburn surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sherburn surname in 1881?

In 1881, 225 people were recorded with the Sherburn surname. That placed it at #11,931 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sherburn surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 441 in 2016. That gives Sherburn a modern rank of #10,971.

What does the Sherburn surname mean?

A variant of the habitational surname derived from a location called Sherborn or Sherbourne.

What does the Sherburn map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sherburn bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.