Sherman
Sherman is a surname that originated in the Anglo-Saxon language. It means a "shearer of woolen garments", being derived from the words scearra, or "shears", and mann, or "man". The name is cognate with Sharman, Shearman and Shurman. Sherman has also been regularly used as a given name in the United States.
Meaning & Origin of Sherman
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Sherman is a surname that originated in the Anglo-Saxon language. It means a "shearer of woolen garments", being derived from the words scearra, or "shears", and mann, or "man". The name is cognate with Sharman, Shearman and Shurman. Sherman has also been regularly used as a given name in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Sherman
Sherman first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 54 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1950, when 635 Shermans were born — ranking #259 that year. As of 2026, Sherman ranks #5,560 for baby boys with 17 births, falling sharply (-42%). In total, more than 39K Shermans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Sherman
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Sherman Adams (1899–1986), American politician
- Sherman Alexie (born 1966), American writer, poet, filmmaker and comedian
- Sherman Augustus , American actor
- Sherman Austin , American anarchist and musician
- Sherman Barton (1875–1947), American baseball player
- Sherman Bell , leader of the Colorado National Guard
- Sherman A. Bernard (1925–2012), American businessman
- Sherman Billingsley (1900–1966), American bootlegger and founder and owner of New York's Stork Club nightclub
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Sherman
Phonetically similar names — useful when Sherman is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Sherman
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About the name Sherman
Sherman is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 39K births in the dataset. Sherman's peak popularity came in 1950 when it ranked #153. Use the chart and map above to compare Sherman's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1950 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.