NameCensus.

UK surname

Sherry

A locational surname referring to people from Chéry, France, or an occupational name for a tender of oxen.

In the 1881 census there were 1,053 people recorded with the Sherry surname, ranking it #3,742 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,957, ranked #3,281, up from #3,742 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Govan Combination and Edinburgh. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Shropshire, Liverpool and Warwick.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sherry is 2,024 in 2010. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 85.8%.

1881 census count

1,053

Ranked #3,742

Modern count

1,957

2016, ranked #3,281

Peak year

2010

2,024 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sherry had 1,053 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,742 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,957 in 2016, ranked #3,281.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,255 in 1901.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sherry surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sherry surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sherry 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 545 #4,633
1861 historical 747 #3,653
1881 historical 1,053 #3,742
1891 historical 1,090 #3,877
1901 historical 1,255 #3,947
1911 historical 879 #5,063
1997 modern 1,817 #3,305
1998 modern 1,893 #3,301
1999 modern 1,917 #3,295
2000 modern 1,909 #3,289
2001 modern 1,876 #3,278
2002 modern 1,967 #3,215
2003 modern 1,970 #3,154
2004 modern 1,981 #3,142
2005 modern 1,958 #3,146
2006 modern 1,940 #3,178
2007 modern 1,986 #3,141
2008 modern 1,989 #3,161
2009 modern 2,005 #3,206
2010 modern 2,024 #3,246
2011 modern 1,981 #3,254
2012 modern 1,947 #3,254
2013 modern 1,961 #3,298
2014 modern 1,978 #3,289
2015 modern 1,960 #3,282
2016 modern 1,957 #3,281

Geography

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Where Sherrys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Govan Combination, Edinburgh, Manchester and St Marylebone. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Shropshire, Liverpool, Warwick, Banknock, Haggs and Longcroft and Cowlairs and Port Dundas. 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 Govan Combination Lanark
3 Edinburgh Edinburgh
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 St Marylebone London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Shropshire 031 Shropshire
2 Liverpool 045 Liverpool
3 Warwick 015 Warwick
4 Banknock, Haggs and Longcroft Falkirk
5 Cowlairs and Port Dundas Glasgow City

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sherry

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

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sherry

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

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Sherry surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sherry 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 comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sherry 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

Sherry is most concentrated in decile 3 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the less healthy 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.

3
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sherry falls in decile 7 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.

7
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sherry is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

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

Meaning and origin of Sherry

The surname Sherry is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "scir," meaning "bright" or "shining." It is believed to have originated in the county of Surrey, England, where it was initially used as a descriptive name for someone with a fair complexion or shining appearance.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Sherry can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Scireman," indicating a person from the shire or county. During the Middle Ages, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Schirrye, Schirrey, and Shurry, before settling on the modern form of Sherry.

One notable historical figure bearing the Sherry surname was Sir Richard Sherry, born in 1505 in Devon, England. He was a prominent lawyer and served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another early bearer of the name was John Sherry, a merchant from Bristol, England, who was active in the 16th century and is credited with introducing the fortified wine known as sherry to England from Spain.

In the 17th century, the name Sherry was associated with the town of Sherrington in Wiltshire, England, which was formerly known as Sherryngton. This place name connection likely contributed to the prevalence of the surname in that region.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Sherry surname was William Sherry, born in 1620 in Sherrington, Wiltshire. He later emigrated to the American colonies and settled in Virginia, becoming one of the first bearers of the name in the New World.

Another notable figure was Robert Sherry, born in 1675 in Somerset, England. He was a renowned scholar and linguist, known for his translations of Persian poetry and his contributions to the study of Eastern languages.

In the 18th century, the name Sherry gained prominence in Scotland, where it was associated with the town of Sherry in Aberdeenshire. One prominent Scottish bearer of the name was Andrew Sherry, born in 1740, who served as a military officer during the American Revolutionary War.

As the Sherry surname spread across the United Kingdom and later to other parts of the world, it became associated with various occupations and professions. In the 19th century, notable individuals with this surname included the English painter John Sherry, born in 1805, and the American lawyer and politician Benjamin Sherry, born in 1825 in New York.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sherry families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sherry 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 241 Sherrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.98x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 241 1.98x
Lanarkshire 144 4.34x
Middlesex 104 1.01x
Shropshire 64 7.22x
Surrey 43 0.86x
Midlothian 39 2.84x
Ayrshire 35 4.56x
Durham 34 1.11x
Kent 33 0.94x
Dorset 32 4.75x
Hampshire 29 1.38x
Northumberland 25 1.64x
Somerset 24 1.45x
Renfrewshire 22 2.77x
Staffordshire 21 0.61x
Cheshire 20 0.88x
Devon 13 0.61x
Essex 12 0.59x
Yorkshire 12 0.12x
Hertfordshire 8 1.13x
Kirkcudbrightshire 8 5.39x
Montgomeryshire 8 3.40x
Sussex 8 0.46x
Channel Islands 7 2.30x
Cumberland 7 0.79x
Stirlingshire 7 1.85x
Anglesey 5 2.75x
Dumfriesshire 5 2.21x
Warwickshire 5 0.19x
Dunbartonshire 4 1.45x
Norfolk 4 0.25x
Suffolk 4 0.32x
Berkshire 3 0.39x
Derbyshire 3 0.19x
Worcestershire 3 0.22x
Angus 2 0.21x
Northamptonshire 2 0.21x
Royal Navy 2 1.64x
Wiltshire 2 0.22x
Bedfordshire 1 0.19x
Buteshire 1 1.61x
Cornwall 1 0.09x
Gloucestershire 1 0.05x
Lincolnshire 1 0.06x
Perthshire 1 0.22x
Roxburghshire 1 0.54x
West Lothian 1 0.65x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Govan in Lanarkshire leads with 38 Sherrys recorded in 1881 and an index of 4.63x.

Place Total Index
Govan 38 4.63x
Manchester 35 6.39x
Barony 34 4.05x
Liverpool 29 3.92x
St Marylebone London 20 3.65x
Glasgow 17 2.88x
Wigan 17 9.99x
Bothwell 16 17.78x
Eastwood 16 32.67x
Hackney London 16 2.78x
Blackburn 15 4.63x
Colmonell 15 194.30x
Mainstone 15 2272.73x
Bethnal Green London 14 3.14x
Cerne Abbas 12 368.10x
Kilmarnock 12 13.13x
Street 12 134.23x
Battersea 11 2.91x
Bradford 11 19.30x
Camberwell 11 1.68x
Esh 11 49.51x
Everton 11 2.83x
Gorton 11 9.61x
Elswick 10 8.21x
Hamilton 10 10.80x
Southampton St Mary 10 7.56x
Toxteth Park 10 2.43x
Birkenhead 9 4.98x
Little Bolton 9 5.75x
Oldham 9 2.29x
South Leith 9 5.82x
Bridgnorth St Leonard 8 79.60x
Cambuslang 8 23.91x
Evershot 8 454.55x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 8 8.77x
West Derby 8 2.25x
East Kilbride 7 49.26x
Islington London 7 0.70x
Lewisham 7 3.75x
Much Woolton 7 42.37x
Newport 7 65.42x
Preston 7 2.15x
Shrewsbury St Chad 7 22.49x
Watford 7 12.76x
Worthen 7 74.31x
Anwoth 6 234.38x
Blantyre 6 17.37x
Edinburgh Lady Yesters 6 63.03x
Exeter St Thomas The 6 27.55x
Great Bolton 6 3.72x
Newchurch 6 6.02x
Paddington London 6 1.59x
Seaton Carew 6 97.72x
Stirling 6 12.57x
Stoke Upon Trent 6 1.63x
Willenhall 6 9.25x
Worsley 6 7.99x
Amlwch 5 29.21x
Bridekirk 5 70.82x
Buckland Newton 5 166.11x
Chirbury 5 95.79x
Croydon 5 1.80x
Dundonald 5 17.66x
Edinburgh St Cuthberts 5 0.90x
Hadlow 5 57.60x
Hedworth Monkton Jarrow 5 3.78x
Kirkdale 5 2.44x
Llandyssil 5 197.63x
Longbenton 5 7.73x
Marton 5 61.73x
Newton 5 5.33x
Plumstead 5 4.28x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 2.42x
St George Hanover 5 3.73x
St John 5 86.21x
Walsall Foreign 5 2.79x
West Ham 5 1.12x
Westminster St 5 13.22x
Edinburgh Old 4 47.96x
Ibberton 4 606.06x

Top female names

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

Name Count
John 53
James 37
William 34
George 21
Thomas 21
Charles 18
Henry 14
Edward 12
Joseph 12
Patrick 11
Arthur 8
Richard 8
Alfred 7
Herbert 6
Michael 6
Ernest 5
Owen 5
Robert 5
Samuel 5
Wm. 5
Bernard 4
Francis 4
Frederick 4
Peter 4
Walter 3
Abraham 2
Anthony 2
Dennis 2
Elijah 2
Frank 2
Geo. 2
Isaac 2
Laurence 2
Lewis 2
Phillip 2
Archibald 1
Benj. 1
Caleb 1
Harriet 1
Harry 1
Lawrane 1
Lawrence 1
Louis 1
M.J. 1
Mark 1
Martin 1
Maurice 1
Nathaniel 1
Oliver 1
Wm.Read 1

FAQ

Sherry surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sherry surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,053 people were recorded with the Sherry surname. That placed it at #3,742 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sherry surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,957 in 2016. That gives Sherry a modern rank of #3,281.

What does the Sherry surname mean?

A locational surname referring to people from Chéry, France, or an occupational name for a tender of oxen.

What does the Sherry map show?

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