SHERRIFF
Sherriff is a surname of English origin, adopted in the Middle Ages as an occupational name. It was derived from the term shire‑reeve, the official who was charged with maintaining law and order in a shire or county during the Anglo‑Saxon and early Norman periods.
The occupational nature of the surname is evident in its early use: an individual who held the office of sheriff, or who acted within the sheriff’s office, was identified by the name. Over subsequent generations the designation became hereditary, passing from father to son and becoming entrenched within families across England.
In the medieval period the role of the shire‑reeve was central to the administration of a shire. The office combined duties such as the levying of taxes, the execution of royal writs, and the keeping of peace. The title “sherry‑reeve” evolved into the modern spelling “sheriff,” although the surname Sherriff has retained its original spelling in many surviving family lines.
Throughout the modern era the surname has spread beyond England, with bearers found in former British colonies and other parts of the globe. Variations in spelling – such as Shirreff or Sheriff – appear in historical records, though the spelling Sherriff remains recognisable and linked to its occupational roots.
Thus, the surname Sherriff exemplifies a classic case of a Middle‑English occupational name that has survived into the present day, preserving a linguistic trace of a role that was once essential to local governance in England.
Typical given names associated with the Sherriff surname
Male
- Alan
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Kevin
- Mark
- Martyn
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Robert
Female
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Fiona
- Jennifer
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Sarah
- Shauna
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Charaf
- Charafi
- Charef
- Charfe
- Charfi
- Charif
- Charife
- Charova
- Cheref
- Cherfa
- Cherfaoui
- Cherfi
- Cherif
- Cherifi
- Cherri
- Cheruvu
- Chorfi
- Shaerf
- Sharaf
- Sharafi
- Shareef
- Sharef
- Sharf
- Sharfe
- Sharff
- Sharfi
- Sharief
- Sharieff
- Sharif
- Sharifa
- Sharife
- Shariff
- Sharifi
- Sharof
- Sharriff
- Shehri
- Shereef
- Sheref
- Sherf
- Sheri
- Sherie
- Sherief
- Sherif
- Sheriff
- Sheriffe
- Sheriffs
- Sherifi
- Sherov
- Sherreff
- Sherri
- Sherrie
- Sherrieff
- Sherries
- Sherrif
- Sherriffe
- Sherriffs
- Sherrifs
- Sherrin
- Sherris
- Sherrit
- Sherry
- Shireff
- Shirif
- Shiriff
- Shirreff
- Shirriff
- Shirriffs
- Shorafa
- Shorif
- Shreave
- Shreef
- Shreeve
- Shreive
- Shreve
- Shrief
- Shrieve
- Shrive
- Shrivo
- Shroff
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Sherriff in...
Braille
⠎⠓⠑⠗⠗⠊⠋⠋
Morse
.........-..-.....-...-.
Semaphore
There are approximately 2,817 people named Sherriff in the UK. That makes it roughly the 3,171st most common surname in Britain. Around 43 in a million people in Britain are named Sherriff.
Famous people named Sherriff
- R. C. Sherriff - Playwright (1896 to 1975)
- Paula Sherriff - Politician
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.