Sherrill
A surname likely tied to an English place-name tradition, especially southern English forms that developed into Sherrill/Sherrin-type spellings.
The #2,640 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 22,650 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Sherrill is usually treated as an English locational or regional name, with the modern spelling likely representing a reduced or altered form of an older place-based surname. The Guppy excerpts place Sherrill among surnames associated with Devonshire, which suggests a southern English distribution rather than a clearly defined occupational meaning. Because the excerpts do not supply a full derivation, the safest reading is that it belongs to the broad English surname group shaped by local pronunciation and spelling variation.
History
The name appears in English surname lists with a southern England focus, especially Devonshire in the material provided. Over time, spellings such as Sherrill, Sherrin, and related forms could shift by parish, clerk, and family usage, which is common in English surnames. In the United States, Sherrill is established but not especially common, consistent with a name that spread through English-speaking migration and later demographic growth.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
In historical surname lists, Sherrill often appears alongside nearby forms like Sherrin and Sherring, hinting that spelling was still fluid when these names were recorded.
From the historical record
“Sherratt, 359, 363, 549. Sherrill, 163, 549. Sherrin i _. . [ 345, 549.”
— Homes of Family Names in Great Britain (county distribution)