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Sherwood Family History

Sherwood Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of several places called with Old English scīr + wudu ‘bright or clear (perhaps sparsely-grown) wood’. In Yorkshire the name usually refers to Sherwood (Hall) in Eggborough (Yorkshire) but some examples could alternatively derive from Sherwood (House) in Stainforth (Yorkshire) or from the Nottinghamshire forest name in 2 below. The Devon name is from Sherwood (Green) in Yarnscombe (Devon). These are well evidenced as medieval placenames and there may be similar but unrecorded places that could account for the medieval surname in other counties such as East Yorkshire Norfolk Oxfordshire and Sussex. Sherwood occurs in minor placenames in Berkshire Hampshire Hertfordshire Kent North Yorkshire Sussex and Wiltshire but they are recorded only in modern times and in many cases will have been named from the surname or perhaps in imitation of 2 below. This name was established in Ireland in the 17th century. See also Sherrard . English: habitational name from Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire (‘the shire wood’). Americanized form of some Jewish name.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Heywood, Harwood, Isherwood, Haywood, Henwood, Garwood, Horwood

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Where is the Sherwood family from?

You can see how Sherwood families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Sherwood family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Sherwood families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 348 Sherwood families living in Ontario. This was about 46% of all the recorded Sherwood's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Sherwood families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Sherwood surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

What did your Sherwood ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Income were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Sherwood. 35% of Sherwood men worked as a Farmer and 20% of Sherwood women worked as an Income. Some less common occupations for Americans named Sherwood were Carpenter and Teacher. .

View Census Data for Sherwood | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    35%
  • Laborer
    12%
  • Labourer
    10%
  • Carpenter
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Income
    20%
  • Clerk
    13%
  • Housekeeper
    11%
  • Teacher
    9%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Sherwood family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 236,000 census records available for the last name Sherwood. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Sherwood census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Sherwood

Passenger Lists

There are 21,000 immigration records available for the last name Sherwood. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 32,000 military records available for the last name Sherwood. For the veterans among your Sherwood ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Sherwood lifespan?

Between 1943 and 2004, in the United States, Sherwood life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1943, and highest in 1990. The average life expectancy for Sherwood in 1943 was 31, and 74 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Sherwood

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