UK surname
Derived from Old English words meaning a bright or shining meadow.
In the 1881 census there were 54 people recorded with the Sherley surname, ranking it #26,009 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 20, ranked #36,679, down from #26,009 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Wolstanton, St Pancras and Godstone. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sherley is 287 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 63.0%.
1881 census count
54
Ranked #26,009
Modern count
20
2016, ranked #36,679
Peak year
1861
287 bearers
Map years
3
1851 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Sherley surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Sherley surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 140 | #13,593 |
| 1861 | historical | 287 | #8,773 |
| 1881 | historical | 54 | #26,009 |
| 1891 | historical | 236 | #13,278 |
| 1901 | historical | 53 | #28,271 |
| 1911 | historical | 52 | #27,620 |
| 1997 | modern | 27 | #35,016 |
| 1998 | modern | 28 | #35,053 |
| 1999 | modern | 33 | #34,610 |
| 2000 | modern | 30 | #34,885 |
| 2001 | modern | 31 | #34,648 |
| 2002 | modern | 28 | #35,139 |
| 2003 | modern | 27 | #35,279 |
| 2004 | modern | 28 | #35,354 |
| 2005 | modern | 29 | #35,431 |
| 2006 | modern | 23 | #36,054 |
| 2007 | modern | 23 | #36,142 |
| 2008 | modern | 22 | #36,281 |
| 2009 | modern | 23 | #36,313 |
| 2010 | modern | 25 | #36,273 |
| 2011 | modern | 26 | #36,193 |
| 2012 | modern | 23 | #36,366 |
| 2013 | modern | 19 | #36,691 |
| 2014 | modern | 20 | #36,654 |
| 2015 | modern | 19 | #36,736 |
| 2016 | modern | 20 | #36,679 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Wolstanton, St Pancras, Godstone, Lambeth and Foleshill. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wolstanton | Staffordshire |
| 2 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 3 | Godstone | Surrey |
| 4 | Lambeth | London (South Districts) |
| 5 | Foleshill | Warwickshire |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Sherley surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sherley, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Sherley surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Sherley household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Sherley is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sherley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Sherley, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname SHERLEY is of English origin and can be traced back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "scir" meaning "bright" or "shining" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." The name may have been initially used as a topographic name for someone who lived in a bright or shining meadow.
The earliest recorded instance of the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where it is spelled as "Shirlee." Similar spellings such as "Shyrley" and "Shurley" can also be found in various historical records from the 14th and 15th centuries.
The name SHERLEY is closely associated with the village of Shirley in Derbyshire, which was originally known as "Scirelei" in the Domesday Book of 1086. It is likely that some individuals took their surname from this place name.
One of the earliest known bearers of the SHERLEY surname was Sir Thomas Sherley (c. 1446 - 1518), a Member of Parliament for Wiltshire during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. Another notable figure was Sir Anthony Sherley (c. 1565 - 1630), an English traveler and adventurer who spent many years in Persia and wrote several accounts of his travels.
In the 17th century, the SHERLEY family played a significant role in the Virginia Colony. Sir Thomas Sherley (1597 - 1655) was a prominent English merchant and adventurer who helped finance the establishment of the Colony and held various administrative positions there.
Another notable bearer of the SHERLEY surname was James Sherley (1796 - 1888), an English businessman and philanthropist who founded the Sherley Prize for social sciences at the University of Cambridge.
The SHERLEY name has also been associated with various places and locations throughout history, such as Shirley in Hampshire, Shirley in Derbyshire, and Shirley in Warwickshire, all of which were named after the original Shirley village or individuals bearing the SHERLEY surname.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sherley surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Kent leads with 11 Sherleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 6.12x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Kent | 11 | 6.12x |
| Lancashire | 9 | 1.44x |
| Staffordshire | 9 | 5.06x |
| Warwickshire | 9 | 6.78x |
| Middlesex | 8 | 1.52x |
| Surrey | 4 | 1.56x |
| Essex | 2 | 1.92x |
| Buckinghamshire | 1 | 3.14x |
| Northamptonshire | 1 | 2.02x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Burslem in Staffordshire leads with 9 Sherleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 176.82x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Burslem | 9 | 176.82x |
| Snodland | 9 | 1764.71x |
| Aston | 8 | 21.87x |
| Bootle Cum Linacre | 7 | 141.13x |
| Bermondsey | 2 | 12.76x |
| Edmonton | 2 | 47.17x |
| Greenwich | 2 | 23.84x |
| Hulme | 2 | 15.33x |
| Penge | 2 | 59.52x |
| Barking | 1 | 32.89x |
| Birmingham | 1 | 2.26x |
| Bow London | 1 | 14.90x |
| Castle Hedingham | 1 | 526.32x |
| Fawsley | 1 | 10000.00x |
| Isleworth | 1 | 42.74x |
| Spitalfields London | 1 | 25.25x |
| St Marylebone London | 1 | 3.56x |
| St Pancras London | 1 | 2.36x |
| Tottenham | 1 | 11.92x |
| Wendover | 1 | 294.12x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sherley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sherley surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sherley households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 14 |
| Dressmaker | 2 |
| Glove Maker | 2 |
| Lab | 2 |
| Laborer | 2 |
| Laundry Maid | 2 |
| Potter | 2 |
| Annuitant | 1 |
| Civil Engineer | 1 |
| Cooper | 1 |
| Coopers Apprentice | 1 |
| Domestic | 1 |
| Farm Labourer | 1 |
| Farm Labourer Wife | 1 |
| Housekeeper Out Of Employ | 1 |
| Income From House Property | 1 |
| Inland Revenue Branch Execise Branch (C S M Clerk) | 1 |
| Labourer | 1 |
| Mason | 1 |
| Packer | 1 |
| Pottress | 1 |
| Retired Butcher | 1 |
| Seamstress | 1 |
| Tailoress | 1 |
| Telegraph Messenger | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 54 people were recorded with the Sherley surname. That placed it at #26,009 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 20 in 2016. That gives Sherley a modern rank of #36,679.
Derived from Old English words meaning a bright or shining meadow.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sherley bearers relative to the surrounding population.
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.