Given name & surname
Sherwin
“a bright friend”
Sherwin is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “a bright friend.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One English interpretation is “a bright friend.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
Possibly from Middle English scheren (“to cut, slash, slice”).
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1912. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Sherwin through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,784
- 3,769 boys · 15 girls
- Most popular year
- 1935
- 66 babies
- 2025
- 9
- #8,811 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −24%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 9 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 8,811 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 24.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 66 in 1935. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 3,798 as a first name in 2020; 2,987 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Sherwin’s family of names
Sherwin has a related form in Sherwyn. Sherwin has a related form in Sherwen. Sherwin has a related form in Sherwenn.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Sherwynvariant · English
- Sherwenvariant · English
- Sherwennevariant
- Sherwennvariant
- Sherwinnevariant
- Sherwynnevariant
- Sherwynnvariant
- Sherwinnvariant
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People named Sherwin
- Sherwin Badgerfigure skater (1901–1972)
- Sherwin WineAmerican rabbi (1928–2007)
- Sherwin B. NulandAmerican surgeon (1930–2014)
- Sherwin SeedorfSurinamese association football player (1998-)
- Sherwin RosenAmerican economist (1938–2001)
- Sherwin CarlquistAmerican botanist (1930–2021)
- Sherwin GatchalianFilipino politicianborn 1974
- Sherwin VriesNamibian athletics competitor (born 1980)
- Sherwin CampbellWest Indian cricketerborn 1970
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Sherwin, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Elgin
“a noble man; one who is white-skinned”
>99% boys
Irwin
“a friend of the wild boar”
>99% boys
Delton
“from the town in the valley”
>99% boys
Elvin
“a friend of the elves”
>99% boys
Erwin
“a friend of the wild boar”
>99% boys
Talmadge
“one who loves nature”
>99% boys
Edsel
“one who is plain” · “one who is noble and bright”
>99% boys
Garner
“one who gathers or keeps grain”
83% boys · 17% girls