How Many People Are Named Sherrell?

An estimated 2,495 people in the United States have the first name Sherrell. It is used for both genders, with 86.4% female. The average bearer is 52 years old, and Sherrell peaked in popularity in 1989 with 86 births that year.

Below you will find a full statistical profile of Sherrell as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Sherrell paired with any surname.

Estimated Living Americans

2,495

About 1 in 137,376 people in the U.S.

Rarity

Rare

Very Rare Very Common

Predicted Gender

Female

86.4% confidence

Average Age

52

years old

Peak Year

1989

86 births

Total Registered

3,221

since 1880

Gender Distribution for Sherrell

Sherrell is predominantly female (86.4%), though 439 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.

Male 439 (13.6%)
Female 2,782 (86.4%)

Sherrell as a male name

Ranked #7,178 in 1983

5 male births in 1983

Peak: 1947 (20 births)

Sherrell as a female name

Ranked #13,893 in 2017

7 female births in 2017

Peak: 1989 (86 births)

Sherrell in the 2020 Census

The 2020 Census recorded 2,393 people with the first name Sherrell, which placed it at #6,645 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.

Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.

Gender in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, Sherrell was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 2,393 people with this name in that snapshot, 10.5% were male and 89.5% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 86.4% of the time.

Census Count

2,393

people with this name

Census Rank

#6,645

among Census first names

Frequency Rate

0.79

per 100,000 people

Male 252 (10.5%)
Female 2,141 (89.5%)

Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census

In the 2020 Census, the first name Sherrell was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (61.92%). The next largest recorded groups were White (30.94%) and Two or More Races (3.72%).

These percentages describe the people who had the first name Sherrell in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

White
30.94%
Black
61.92%
Hispanic
1.80%
Asian/Pacific Islander
0.46%
American Indian/Alaska Native
1.17%
Two or More Races
3.72%

2020 Census demographic breakdown

Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Sherrell.

Group Share Count
Black 61.92% 1,483
White 30.94% 741
Two or More Races 3.72% 89
Hispanic 1.80% 43
American Indian and Alaska Native 1.17% 28
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.46% 11

The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.

Sherrell: Popularity Over Time

SSA records for Sherrell span from the 1910s to the 2010s, covering 11 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1980s, when 671 babies were registered. Sherrell has declined significantly from its peak in the 1980s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.

Male
Female
0 17 34 52 69 86 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000

Sherrell by Decade

How has Sherrell tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.

Decade Total Male Female
1910s 21 21 0
1920s 33 33 0
1930s 199 127 72
1940s 410 138 272
1950s 438 62 376
1960s 436 12 424
1970s 534 35 499
1980s 671 11 660
1990s 388 0 388
2000s 68 0 68
2010s 23 0 23

Sherrell by State

Birth registrations for Sherrell span all 18 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in California, Texas, New York. The lowest are in Tennessee, District of Columbia, Ohio. On average, about 37 Sherrells were registered per state.

Sherrell + Last Name Combinations

How many people share a full name with Sherrell as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Sherrell: Questions and Answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Sherrell?

We estimate approximately 2,495 people named Sherrell are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 137,376 Americans share this first name.

Is Sherrell a common name?

Sherrell is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 94.5% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 3,221 births have been registered with this name since 1880.

When was Sherrell most popular?

Sherrell reached peak popularity in 1989, when 86 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Sherrell is approximately 52 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.

How common was Sherrell in the 2020 Census?

The 2020 Census recorded 2,393 people with the first name Sherrell. That placed it at #6,645 in the published Census first-name tables, or 0.79 people per 100,000.

Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?

Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Sherrell was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.

What does the Census say about the gender split for Sherrell?

In the 2020 Census snapshot, Sherrell was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 10.5% male and 89.5% female.

What does the Census say about the background of people named Sherrell?

In the 2020 Census, the first name Sherrell was most commonly recorded among people who identified as Black (61.92%). The next largest recorded groups were White (30.94%) and Two or More Races (3.72%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.

Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?

The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.

Is Sherrell a female name?

Sherrell is predominantly female. 86.4% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.

Why can Sherrell have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Sherrell peaked in 1989, and the average living bearer is about 52 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.

How many Sherrell Smiths are there?

To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Sherrell Smith, Sherrell Johnson, Sherrell Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.

Where does this data come from?

Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.

Search for a full name combination