NameCensus.

UK surname

Sherrington

A habitational name derived from a place named Sherrington in England.

In the 1881 census there were 626 people recorded with the Sherrington surname, ranking it #5,649 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,152, ranked #5,124, up from #5,649 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Wigan and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Wigan, Bolton and County Durham.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sherrington is 1,251 in 1999. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 84.0%.

1881 census count

626

Ranked #5,649

Modern count

1,152

2016, ranked #5,124

Peak year

1999

1,251 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sherrington had 626 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,649 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,152 in 2016, ranked #5,124.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 929 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Small Town Suburbia.

Sherrington surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sherrington surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sherrington 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 267 #8,342
1861 historical 313 #8,103
1881 historical 626 #5,649
1891 historical 673 #5,795
1901 historical 759 #5,884
1911 historical 929 #4,832
1997 modern 1,226 #4,631
1998 modern 1,235 #4,763
1999 modern 1,251 #4,748
2000 modern 1,230 #4,792
2001 modern 1,194 #4,814
2002 modern 1,240 #4,756
2003 modern 1,221 #4,737
2004 modern 1,203 #4,802
2005 modern 1,173 #4,852
2006 modern 1,166 #4,887
2007 modern 1,191 #4,839
2008 modern 1,196 #4,855
2009 modern 1,211 #4,903
2010 modern 1,219 #4,974
2011 modern 1,214 #4,921
2012 modern 1,163 #5,041
2013 modern 1,176 #5,084
2014 modern 1,173 #5,119
2015 modern 1,153 #5,144
2016 modern 1,152 #5,124

Geography

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Where Sherringtons are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Wigan, Preston and Blackburn. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Wigan, Bolton and County Durham. 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 London parishes London 3
2 Wigan Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Wigan 021 Wigan
2 Bolton 004 Bolton
3 County Durham 038 County Durham
4 Bolton 007 Bolton
5 Wigan 020 Wigan

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sherrington

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sherrington

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sherrington, 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 Sherrington surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Small Town Suburbia, within Retired Professionals. This does not mean every Sherrington 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

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sherrington 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

Sherrington is most concentrated in decile 4 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.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sherrington 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 Sherrington 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 Sherrington, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sherrington

The surname Sherrington is of English origin and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the village of Sherington in Buckinghamshire, England. The name is derived from the Old English words "scir" meaning "bright" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "village," suggesting that the name refers to a bright or shining village.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sherrington can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Buckinghamshire from the year 1176, which mention a person named Robert de Sherinton. This record suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 12th century.

The Sherrington name appears in several historical documents throughout the centuries, including the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1273, which mentions a William de Sherington. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 also include references to individuals with the Sherrington surname in various parts of England.

In the 16th century, the Sherrington name gained prominence through the accomplishments of Sir William Sherrington (c. 1495-1548), who served as a member of King Henry VIII's Privy Council and held various important positions in the English court. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Sherrington (c. 1515-1578), who was a distinguished soldier and served as a member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

During the 17th century, the Sherrington family maintained a presence in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, where records show the birth of Thomas Sherrington in 1624. Another significant figure from this era was Sir William Sherrington (1607-1682), who was a prominent landowner and served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.

In the 18th century, the name continued to be found in various regions of England, with records indicating the birth of individuals such as John Sherrington (1702-1784) in Gloucestershire and Samuel Sherrington (1718-1795) in Oxfordshire.

Throughout the 19th century, the Sherrington surname was represented by several notable figures, including the physician and physiologist Charles Scott Sherrington (1857-1952), who received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1932 for his groundbreaking work on the functions of neurons. Other prominent individuals from this era include the architect and surveyor John Sherrington (1822-1905) and the political activist and suffragette Emily Sherrington (1851-1931).

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sherrington families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sherrington 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. Lancashire leads with 334 Sherringtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.61x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 334 4.61x
Middlesex 55 0.90x
Durham 54 2.97x
Yorkshire 47 0.78x
Surrey 29 0.97x
Hertfordshire 14 3.33x
Sussex 14 1.36x
Warwickshire 13 0.84x
Kent 12 0.58x
Hampshire 11 0.88x
Northumberland 11 1.21x
Cumberland 5 0.95x
Flintshire 5 3.05x
Morayshire 5 5.27x
Suffolk 5 0.67x
Gloucestershire 4 0.33x
Cambridgeshire 2 0.52x
Banffshire 1 0.79x
Bedfordshire 1 0.32x
Cheshire 1 0.07x
Norfolk 1 0.11x
Somerset 1 0.10x
Wiltshire 1 0.19x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Wigan in Lancashire leads with 60 Sherringtons recorded in 1881 and an index of 59.25x.

Place Total Index
Wigan 60 59.25x
Preston 56 28.89x
Walton Le Dale 22 112.99x
Chorley 17 41.81x
Liverpool 17 3.86x
Ince In Makerfield 14 41.52x
St Pancras London 14 2.85x
Selsey 13 684.21x
Whickham 12 71.77x
Willesden 12 20.85x
Blackrod 11 122.09x
Tunstall In Richmond 11 2156.86x
Wheelton 11 339.51x
Pemberton 10 34.61x
Skelmersdale 10 82.78x
Aspull 9 52.82x
Broughton In Salford 9 13.58x
Kirkdale 9 7.38x
Aston 8 1.89x
Camberwell 8 2.05x
Exelby Leeming Newton 8 555.56x
North Bedburn 8 157.48x
Portsea 8 3.26x
Tynemouth 8 16.44x
Blackburn 7 3.63x
Crook Billy Row 7 30.08x
Lambeth 7 1.31x
Bromley London 6 4.47x
Islington London 6 1.01x
North Meols 6 8.46x
St Marylebone London 6 1.84x
Toxteth Park 6 2.45x
Wolsingham 6 36.23x
Armley 5 18.73x
Bootle Cum Linacre 5 8.69x
Brandon Byshottles 5 21.97x
Darlington 5 7.13x
Forres 5 50.15x
Hope 5 61.20x
Layton With Warbreck 5 18.80x
Reigate Foreign 5 15.52x
Chipping Barnet 4 54.35x
Dewsbury 4 6.45x
Lathom 4 45.71x
Lewisham 4 3.60x
Little Bolton 4 4.29x
Shevington 4 120.85x
Shoreditch London 4 1.51x
Southwark St George Martyr 4 3.26x
Standish With Langtree 4 44.84x
Stevenage 4 61.26x
Stranton 4 6.54x
Upholland 4 43.06x
Willesborough 4 71.43x
Woolpit 4 185.19x
Aldbrough 3 833.33x
Dearham 3 43.23x
Epsom 3 20.69x
Gorton 3 4.40x
Great Bolton 3 3.13x
Haslingden 3 10.00x
Horwich 3 37.97x
Knebworth 3 545.45x
Richmond 3 31.75x
West Derby 3 1.42x
Wingate 3 24.10x
Bethnal Green London 2 0.75x
Charlton 2 14.45x
Dowdeswell 2 192.31x
East Stamford Bridge 2 240.96x
Edgbaston 2 4.19x
Elswick 2 2.76x
Killerby 2 1666.67x
Knaresborough 2 21.05x
Manchester 2 0.61x
Westminster St John 2 2.69x
Witton 2 21.93x
Berkhampstead 1 10.57x
Coberley 1 147.06x
Farnworth 1 2.30x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 46
William 43
James 27
Thomas 21
George 20
Joseph 15
Henry 12
Richard 11
Edward 10
Robert 9
Charles 7
Samuel 4
Walter 4
Alfred 3
Arthur 3
Frank 3
Frederick 3
Ralph 3
Albert 2
Francis 2
Harry 2
Richd. 2
Simon 2
Thos. 2
Cecil 1
David 1
Dowlass 1
Edwin 1
Emmanuel 1
Enock 1
Fred 1
Georges 1
Herbert 1
Humphrey 1
Jane 1
Jervis 1
Jno. 1
Jonathan 1
Jos. 1
Leonard 1
Matthew 1
Miles 1
Moses 1
Nicholas 1
Patrick 1
Percy 1
Peter 1
Robt. 1
Roger 1
Wm.Thos. 1

FAQ

Sherrington surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sherrington surname in 1881?

In 1881, 626 people were recorded with the Sherrington surname. That placed it at #5,649 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sherrington surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,152 in 2016. That gives Sherrington a modern rank of #5,124.

What does the Sherrington surname mean?

A habitational name derived from a place named Sherrington in England.

What does the Sherrington map show?

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