The Sherlock surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 5,211 people carried this name — #6,511 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 56,500 people counted. That is up 4% from 4,988 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Sherlock surname

An English surname transferred from the nickname.

Supposedly from an Old English scir-locc (“bright-lock”). One of a group of surnames originally denoting hair colour, parallel to Blacklock, Harlock (Old English har (“grey”)), Silverlock.

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Sherlock» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.

As an English and Welsh surname

An early record he cites: Beatrice Schyrlok, Bedfordshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 684 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 23 births for the Sherlock name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Leinster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 1,000 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Leinster 11
Ulster 5
Munster 4
Connacht 3

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In print

Sherlock in American newspapers,
1905–1919.

Newspaper page from Great Falls Daily Tribune carrying the name Sherlock
Great Falls Daily Tribune 1919-05-15
Newspaper page from New Hampshire Farmer And Weekly Union carrying the name Sherlock
New Hampshire Farmer And Weekly Union 1905-06-21
Newspaper page from Albuquerque Morning Journal carrying the name Sherlock
Albuquerque Morning Journal 1911-03-09

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 1,958 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Sherlock in Australian newspapers,
1820s–1990s.

16,403 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sherlock. The most, 2,877, date from the 1930s. New South Wales has the most articles, but weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, the name stands out most in Western Australia, at 1.7 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 5,744
Victoria 4,573
Western Australia 2,414
Queensland 2,187
South Australia 862
Tasmania 503
ACT (Canberra) 57
Northern Territory 34

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sherlock.

Who carried it

People named Sherlock,
with a public archive behind them.

  • John Sherlock d. 1719
  • Hugh Wilfrid Sherlock d. 1957
  • Amelia Mary Georgiana Sherlock d. 1878
  • Elizabeth Mary Kerle Sherlock d. 1942
  • Averina Sherlock d. 1920
  • Hester Stratford Sherlock d. 1957

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Sherlock,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States1,250 records

1,250 records of the Sherlock name in the United States
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 343
  • Passenger arrivals in the United States, 1820–1912 327
  • Other U.S. records 580
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Joseph V. Sherlock

    Born 1947; from Concord, California. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1967 in Binh Thuan, South Vietnam. Buried at Golden Gate National Cemetery, California.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Paul E. Sherlock

    Born 1924 in Ohio. Enlisted 1943 at Cincinnati; welder from Butler County. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1998, buried at St Mary Cemetery, Hamilton, Ohio.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Bridget Sherlock

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Rome from Liverpool, aged 17; servant. From Donegal, Ireland.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 1,250 records for Sherlock in the United States.

Counts: NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia663 records

663 records of the Sherlock name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 353
  • Victoria wills and probate, deaths to 2001 138
  • Other Australian records 172
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record John Henny Sherlock

    Died 1883 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 60. Will registered in Tasmania in 1884.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Herbert Edward Sherlock

    Born 1870 in Launceston, Tasmania. Married 1894 in Launceston, Tasmania, aged 23.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Mary Sherlock

    Transported to New South Wales aboard the Elizabeth, arriving 1818; ticket of leave 1824. Native of Meath Co.

    Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY)

Showing 3 of 663 records for Sherlock in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain).

Canada120 records

120 records of the Sherlock name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 72
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 18
  • Other Canadian records 30
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Civil record Robert A. Sherlock

    Killed in 1891 at the Springhill Mine, Nova Scotia.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Robt Sherlock

    Came to Ontario in 1874 aboard the Ontario, bound for Thorold, Ontario; Irish.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Frank Charles Sherlock

    Buried in 1994 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 76.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 120 records for Sherlock in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

New Zealand29 records

29 records of the Sherlock name in New Zealand
  • Thames-Coromandel District cemetery records 14
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 11
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 4
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Alfred Sherlock

    Buried in 1951 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato, aged 82.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Caroline Susannah Sherlock

    Died 1932, aged 76; buried at Bromley Cemetery, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Livre d’or of the French war dead, Paris
    Example: roll of the war dead
    War record A. Sherlock

    New Zealand Infantry7. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 29 records for Sherlock in New Zealand.

Counts: Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Livre d’or of the war dead, Paris, Ministère des pensions, Archives nationales (CC0).

United Kingdom15 records

15 records of the Sherlock name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 11
  • Welsh wills index cards 3
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 1
  1. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Ellen Sherlock

    Will proved in 1907; of Llanfechell, Anglesey.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Christopher Sherlock

    Buried in 1813 at St James's burial ground, Euston, London, aged 65.

    MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record J. Sherlock

    Corporal, King's (Liverpool Regiment). Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1917.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 15 records for Sherlock in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Ireland4 records

4 records of the Sherlock name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record James Sherlock

    Died 1891, aged 67; buried at Lackagh (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Honor Sherlock

    Died 1920, aged 52; buried at Lackagh (Old), Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 2 of 4 records for Sherlock in Ireland.

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France3 records

3 records of the Sherlock name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record William Gaston Andre Sherlock

    Born 1916 in Abbeville (Somme); died 1998 in Marquette-lez-Lille (Nord).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Susan Elizabeth Sherlock

    Born 1944 in Great Britain; died 2000 in Villeneuve-Loubet (Alpes-Maritimes).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 2 of 3 records for Sherlock in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Netherlands1 record

1 record of the Sherlock name in the Netherlands Dutch population registers
  1. A page of the 1910 United States census, Milwaukee
    Example: U.S. census, 1910
    Population register Cyril John Edward Sherlock

    In a population register.

    Open Archives, Stadsarchief Rotterdam (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. census of 1910, Milwaukee (public domain).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Sherlock.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Sherlock is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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