Show ContentsSherman Surname History

Sherman Ranking

In the United States, the name Sherman is the 420th most popular surname with an estimated 67,149 people with that name. 1


United States Sherman migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sherman Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • William "The Pilgrim" Sherman (died 1679), who landed at Plymouth Harbor in 1632 as an indentured servant but later earned his freedom and was later granted lands at Green Harbor, Marshfield 2
  • Philip Sherman, who landed in Roxbury, Massachusetts in 1633 2
  • Samuel Sherman, who arrived in Massachusetts in 1634 2
  • John Sherman, who settled in Boston in 1634
  • Edmund Sherman, who arrived in Boston, Massachusetts in 1634 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Sherman Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Ruth Sherman, who arrived in Virginia in 1704 2
  • Elizabeth Sherman, who arrived in Virginia in 1716 2
  • Catrina Sherman, aged 40, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 2
  • Catrines Sherman, aged 13, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1733 2
  • Deniell Sherman, aged 3, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1733 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Sherman Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • John Sherman, aged 18, who landed in Norfolk, Va in 1803 2
  • John Sherman, who settled in Norfolk Virginia in 1804
  • John Sherman, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1813 2
  • John Sherman, who landed in New York in 1822 2
  • George Sherman, who landed in New York in 1822 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Sherman migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sherman Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
  • Stephen Sherman, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1749
  • Lieut. Ambrose Sherman U.E. born in Boston, Massachusetts, USA who settled in Sunbury County, New Brunswick c. 1784 he served in the Royal Fenncible Americans, he is listed as drowning in Burton [Whitestone], Sunbury County, Ontario 3
  • Mr. Simeon Sherman U.E. who settled in Hawksebury, Prescott and Russell, Ontario c. 1786 he served in the Loyal Rangers 3
Sherman Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Alden Sherman, who arrived in Canada in 1841
  • David Sherman, who landed in Canada in 1841
  • Mr. Daniel Sherman, aged 47 who immigrated to Canada, arriving at the Grosse Isle Quarantine Station in Quebec aboard the ship "Sir Robert Peel" departing from the port of Liverpool, England but died on Grosse Isle in September 1847 4
  • Miss. Ann Sherman who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Lotus" departing 15th April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 24th June 1847 but she died on board 5
  • Mr. James Sherman, aged 10 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Lotus" departing 15th April 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 24th June 1847 but he died on board 5

Australia Sherman migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Sherman Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John Sherman, English convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Aurora" on 3rd November 1833, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • George Sherman, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Bolivar" in 1850 7
  • Mr. Charles Sherman, British Convict who was convicted in Oxford, Oxfordshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Corona" on 13th October 1866, arriving in Western Australia, Australia 8
  • Mr. Alfred Sherman, (b. 1860), aged 17, Cornish farmer travelling aboard the ship "Commonwealth" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 22nd June 1877 9
  • Mr. Joseph Sherman, (b. 1850), aged 28, Cornish quarryman travelling aboard the ship "Smyrna" arriving in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on 19th August 1878 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Sherman migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Sherman Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • William Hancock Sherman, aged 34, a shoemaker, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
  • Elizabeth Sherman, aged 35, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
  • Jane Sherman, aged 7, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
  • Elizabeth Sherman, aged 3, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
  • Sarah Sherman, aged 2, who arrived in Nelson, New Zealand aboard the ship "Thomas Harrison" in 1842
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

West Indies Sherman migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 10
Sherman Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century
  • Mr. Thomas Sherman, aged 26, British settler travelling from Gravesend, UK aboard the ship "Hopewell" arriving in Barbados on 17th February 1634 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Sherman (post 1700) +

  • Rodney Jarvis Sherman (1944-2024), American football wide receiver
  • Russell Sherman (1930-2023), American classical pianist, educator and author
  • Philip Lloyd Sherman (1956-2023), American Orthodox Jewish cantor, mohel, and actor, regarded as "America's Top Mohel", known for his roles in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Orange Is the New Black
  • Robert Sherman (1932-2023), American radio broadcaster, author, music critic, writer, and educator in New York City, known for his programs Woody’s Children and The Listening Room
  • James Schoolcraft Sherman (1855-1912), United States Representative from New York, 27th Vice President of the United States
  • Jack Sherman (1956-2020), American guitarist, best known as the second guitarist to have joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • Brigadier-General Harry Benham Sherman (1894-1974), American Deputy Commanding General Ryukyus Islands (1950-1953) 11
  • Carl Sherman (1891-1956), American lawyer, New York State Attorney General from 1923 to 1924
  • Robert Cabot "Bobby" Sherman Jr. (b. 1943), American singer, actor, teen idol
  • Al Sherman (1897-1973), American Tin Pan Alley songwriter, father of the Sherman Brothers
  • ... (Another 130 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


Suggested Readings for the name Sherman +

  • A Genealogical History of the Hatfield and Sherman Families of Utica N.Y. by John Bennett Hatfield.
  • Sherman Directory by John H. Sherman.
  • Sherman Genealogy by Thomas Townsend Sherman.

  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. 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)
  3. Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
  4. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 55)
  5. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 95)
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 20th August 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/aurora
  7. State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) BOLIVAR 1850. Retrieved http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850Bolivar.gif
  8. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/corona
  9. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 19). Emigrants to Australia NSW 1860 -88 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/nsw_passenger_lists_1860_88.pdf
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
  11. Generals of World War II. (Retrieved 2014, March 26) Harry Sherman. Retrieved from http://generals.dk/general/Sherman/Harry_Benham/USA.html


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