SHERRIFF
Sherriff
Sherriff is a distinguished British surname with its origins rooted in medieval England. The surname is of occupational origin, derived from the Middle English term "shirreve" or "shire reeve," meaning a local official or a steward appointed by the sheriff to oversee a shire or county.
Origins:
The use of the surname Sherriff can be traced back to the early Middle Ages in England. In feudal times, the Sherriff played a crucial role in maintaining law and order within a specific jurisdiction and was often responsible for collecting taxes and carrying out judicial duties. Those tasked with these responsibilities were often referred to by the title "shirreve," eventually evolving into the surname Sherriff.
Distribution:
The surname Sherriff is most commonly found in regions across England and Scotland. Over the centuries, bearers of the surname have spread geographically, with individuals carrying the name now residing in various parts of the United Kingdom and around the world.
Notable Individuals:
- R.C. Sherriff (1896-1975): R.C. Sherriff was a renowned British playwright and screenwriter, best known for his work "Journey's End," a play based on his own experiences in World War I.
- Tony Sherriff (b. 1943): Tony Sherriff is a former English footballer who had a successful career playing as a winger for clubs such as Leicester City and Watford in the 1960s and 1970s.
Coat of Arms:
The Sherriff family is associated with a distinctive coat of arms which typically features heraldic elements symbolising courage, loyalty, and authority. These symbols may vary according to specific branches or lineages of the Sherriff family.
Legacy:
The surname Sherriff has endured through generations, reflecting the family's historical ties to governance, law, and community leadership in England. Today, individuals bearing the surname continue to uphold the legacy of their ancestors through various professions and endeavours worldwide.
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.
Typical given names associated with the 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.