Show ContentsSherin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The surname Sherin is derived from Mac Searthuin, which means son of Searthun. The personal name Searthun is equivalent to Geoffrey.

Early Origins of the Sherin family

The surname Sherin was first found in County Donegal (Irish: Dún na nGall), northwest Ireland in the province of Ulster, sometimes referred to as County Tyrconnel, where they held a family seat, some say before the Anglo Norman invasion of Ireland by Strongbow in 1172. However, others claim that it is an offshoot of the Prendergast Clan in County Mayo, where they adopted the Gaelic name of O'Sirin, and established themselves on the Donegal/Fermanagh border about the year 1250.

Early History of the Sherin family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sherin research. Another 92 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1659 and 1673 are included under the topic Early Sherin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sherin Spelling Variations

Medieval scribes and church officials spelt names simply the way they sounded, which explains the various name spelling variations of the name Sherin that were encountered when researching that surname. The many spelling variations included: Shearing, Sheering, Sheeran, Sharron, Sherren, Sherran, Shirran, Sheeran, Sheerin, O'Shearing, O'Sheering, O'Sheeran, O'Sharron, O'Sherren, O'Sherran, O'Shirran, O'Sheeran, O'Shearing and many more.

Early Notables of the Sherin family

More information is included under the topic Early Sherin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Sherin migration to the United States +

A great number of Irish families left their homeland in the late 18th century and throughout the 19th century, migrating to such far away lands as Australia and North America. The early settlers left after much planning and deliberation. They were generally well off but they desired a tract of land that they could farm solely for themselves. The great mass of immigrants to arrive on North American shores in the 1840s differed greatly from their predecessors because many of them were utterly destitute, selling all they had to gain a passage on a ship or having their way paid by a philanthropic society. These Irish people were trying to escape the aftermath of the Great Potato Famine: poverty, starvation, disease, and, for many, ultimately death. Those that arrived on North American shores were not warmly welcomed by the established population, but they were vital to the rapid development of the industry, agriculture, and infrastructure of the infant nations of the United States and what would become Canada. Early passenger and immigration lists reveal many Irish settlers bearing the name Sherin:

Sherin Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Robert Sherin, aged 32, who arrived in New England in 1634 aboard the ship "Elizabeth" 1
  • John Sherin, who arrived in Maryland in 1661 1

Contemporary Notables of the name Sherin (post 1700) +

  • Keith S. Sherin (b. 1958), American CEO of GE Capital
  • Miriam G. Sherin, American professor in the School of Education and Social Policy and the Learning Sciences Department at Northwestern University
  • Edwin Sherin (b. 1930), American theatre and television director and producer


The Sherin Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Vincit Veritas
Motto Translation: Truth conquers.


  1. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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