Sherline
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly related to "sheer" or "shine".
Name Census estimates that about 278 living Americans carry the first name Sherline. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Sherline today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Sherline births was 2010 (28 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Sherline. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
278
~ 1 in 1,232,929 Americans
Peak year
2010
28 babies that year
Average age
45
years old
2014 SSA rank
#18,841
Tracked since 1936
Census
Sherline in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 607 people with the first name Sherline, which placed it at #17,928 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#17,928
National first-name rank
People counted
607
607 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
67.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sherline
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sherline is Black at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.3%) and White (7.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Sherline described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Sherline at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American67.1% · 407
- Hispanic or Latino20.3% · 123
- White7.9% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.1% · 19
- Two or more races1.2% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 3
Popularity
Sherline: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Sherline from the 1930s through to the 2010s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 73 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1950s peak, Sherline remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sherline by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Sherline during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Sherlines live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. Florida, Texas, California recorded the most babies named Sherline, while Louisiana, California, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 8 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Sherline
The name Sherline is a rather unusual and intriguing one, with its origins shrouded in mystery and uncertainty. Some etymologists have suggested that it may have roots in the Old English language, possibly derived from the words "scir" meaning "bright" or "shining" and "lind" meaning "gentle" or "tender." However, this is merely speculation, and concrete evidence of its true etymology remains elusive.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sherline can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and wealth in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this ancient record, a woman named Sherline is listed as a landowner in the county of Oxfordshire. This entry provides a tantalizing glimpse into the antiquity of the name, suggesting that it may have been in use as early as the 11th century.
Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, the name Sherline seems to have been relatively rare, with only a few scattered references in historical documents and records. One notable bearer of the name was Sherline de Montfort, a French noblewoman who lived during the 13th century. She was known for her involvement in the Albigensian Crusade, a series of military campaigns waged against the Cathars, a Christian sect deemed heretical by the Catholic Church.
In the 16th century, a woman named Sherline Wycliffe gained recognition for her contributions to the field of herbalism and natural medicine. Born in 1525 in the English county of Yorkshire, she authored several influential treatises on the medicinal properties of plants and their use in treating various ailments. Her work helped to preserve and disseminate valuable knowledge during a time when traditional healing practices were often suppressed or marginalized.
Moving forward to the 18th century, we encounter Sherline Austen, a distant relative of the esteemed novelist Jane Austen. Born in 1742, Sherline was a respected educator and philanthropist who established several schools for underprivileged children in the English county of Hampshire. Her efforts to promote education and improve the lives of the less fortunate earned her widespread admiration and recognition during her lifetime.
Finally, in the 19th century, we find Sherline Nightingale, a pioneering nurse and social reformer who played a pivotal role in the establishment of modern nursing practices. Born in 1820, Sherline served as a nurse during the Crimean War and later worked tirelessly to improve sanitary conditions and medical care in hospitals and military camps. Her groundbreaking work and advocacy for better healthcare systems have left an indelible mark on the nursing profession and the overall advancement of public health.
While the name Sherline may be relatively uncommon today, its rich history and the remarkable individuals who have borne it throughout the centuries serve as a testament to its enduring legacy and intrigue. From ancient landowners to pioneering healers, educators, and reformers, the name Sherline has been associated with strength, resilience, and a commitment to making a positive impact on society.
People
Sherline + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Sherline as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Sherline: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Sherline?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 278 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Sherline going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,232,929 US residents.
Is Sherline a common name?
We classify Sherline as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 356 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Sherline most popular?
The single biggest year for Sherline was 2010, when 28 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Sherline is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Sherline in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 607 people with the name Sherline, or 0.20 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #17,928 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Sherline in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Sherline?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Sherline appears almost entirely female. Of the 606 people counted with this name, 99.3% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Sherline?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Sherline is Black at 67.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (20.3%) and White (7.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Sherline most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Sherline in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.1% (407 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Sherline in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Sherline a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Sherline in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Sherline still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Sherline in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Sherline can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are named Sherline?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.