NameCensus.

UK surname

Shermer

A surname derived from the German "schyrme" meaning protector or shield-bearer.

In the 1881 census there were 65 people recorded with the Shermer surname, ranking it #24,420 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 110, ranked #29,225, down from #24,420 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Sandwell, Stafford and Walsall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shermer is 123 in 2007. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 69.2%.

1881 census count

65

Ranked #24,420

Modern count

110

2016, ranked #29,225

Peak year

2007

123 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Shermer had 65 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #24,420 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016, ranked #29,225.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 81 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Shermer surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Shermer surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Shermer 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 52 #23,915
1861 historical 68 #25,196
1881 historical 65 #24,420
1891 historical 52 #30,061
1901 historical 64 #27,010
1911 historical 81 #24,719
1997 modern 106 #26,057
1998 modern 109 #26,273
1999 modern 116 #25,487
2000 modern 119 #25,072
2001 modern 118 #24,832
2002 modern 111 #26,291
2003 modern 108 #26,486
2004 modern 116 #25,580
2005 modern 118 #25,301
2006 modern 117 #25,695
2007 modern 123 #25,208
2008 modern 119 #26,067
2009 modern 116 #27,062
2010 modern 118 #27,404
2011 modern 112 #28,117
2012 modern 112 #28,174
2013 modern 115 #28,176
2014 modern 118 #27,961
2015 modern 108 #29,512
2016 modern 110 #29,225

Geography

Back to top

Where Shermers are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Sandwell, Stafford, Walsall and Wolverhampton. 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 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Sandwell 039 Sandwell
2 Stafford 003 Stafford
3 Walsall 013 Walsall
4 Wolverhampton 033 Wolverhampton
5 Sandwell 013 Sandwell

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Shermer

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Shermer

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Shermer, 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

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Shermer surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Shermer household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Shermer is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. 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

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Shermer is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

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

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Shermer falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

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

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shermer is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 60-70 mbit/s.

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

9
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Shermer

The surname Shermer is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and it is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "scir," which means "bright" or "shining," and the word "mere," which means "a lake or a pool." The name likely referred to someone who lived near a bright or shining lake or pool.

The earliest known record of the name Shermer dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1273. This document was a census-like record of landowners and their possessions, and it provides valuable insight into the distribution and prevalence of surnames in medieval England.

In the 14th century, the name Shermer appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1327, which was a taxation record. This indicates that the name was well-established in the region by that time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Shermer was John Shermer, who was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, in the late 15th century. He was a merchant and landowner, and his descendants continued to live in the area for several generations.

Another notable bearer of the Shermer surname was William Shermer, who was born in Gloucestershire in the mid-16th century. He was a member of the gentry and held significant landholdings in the county.

In the 17th century, the name Shermer appeared in the parish records of several English counties, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Derbyshire. This suggests that the surname had spread geographically by that time.

One of the most prominent individuals with the surname Shermer was Sir Thomas Shermer, who was born in Gloucestershire in the early 17th century. He was a wealthy landowner and served as a member of Parliament for the county in the 1640s.

Another notable bearer of the Shermer surname was John Shermer, who was born in Lincolnshire in the late 17th century. He was a renowned scholar and author, and his works on theology and philosophy were widely read and influential during his lifetime.

The surname Shermer has also been associated with several place names in England, such as Shermer's Green in Hertfordshire and Shermer's Hill in Dorset. These place names likely originated from the presence of families with the Shermer surname in those areas.

Overall, the surname Shermer has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval England. Its origins are rooted in the Anglo-Saxon language, and it has been borne by numerous individuals of note throughout the centuries, including landowners, scholars, and members of the gentry.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Shermer families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shermer 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. Gloucestershire leads with 35 Shermers recorded in 1881 and an index of 31.01x.

County Total Index
Gloucestershire 35 31.01x
Staffordshire 9 4.63x
Middlesex 4 0.70x
Warwickshire 4 2.76x
Northumberland 2 2.34x
Devon 1 0.83x
Herefordshire 1 4.24x
Lancashire 1 0.15x
Monmouthshire 1 2.40x
Somerset 1 1.08x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. West Bromwich in Staffordshire leads with 9 Shermers recorded in 1881 and an index of 80.94x.

Place Total Index
West Bromwich 9 80.94x
Wheatenhurst 9 12857.14x
Leonard Stanley 8 5333.33x
Aston 4 10.01x
Clerkenwell London 4 29.46x
Newnham 4 1379.31x
Westbury On Severn East 3 117.65x
Cheltenham 2 22.96x
Gloucester Barton St Mary 2 96.62x
North Cerney 2 1666.67x
North Shields 2 116.96x
Olveston 2 625.00x
Aldsworth 1 1250.00x
Barton Upon Irwell 1 19.46x
Chepstow 1 140.85x
Exeter St Mary Arches 1 909.09x
Glastonbury 1 131.58x
Preston 1 2000.00x
Tupsley 1 500.00x
Withington 1 833.33x

Top female names

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

Top male names

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

Top occupations

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 Shermer households.

FAQ

Shermer surname: questions and answers

How common was the Shermer surname in 1881?

In 1881, 65 people were recorded with the Shermer surname. That placed it at #24,420 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Shermer surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 110 in 2016. That gives Shermer a modern rank of #29,225.

What does the Shermer surname mean?

A surname derived from the German "schyrme" meaning protector or shield-bearer.

What does the Shermer map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Shermer 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.