SHERWOOD
The surname Sherwood is of English origin and is derived from the Old English words scir, meaning bright or clear, and wudu, meaning wood. It is therefore a locational surname that indicates that the original bearers of the name hailed from a place called Sherwood, a settlement or woodland that was described as bright or clear.
Recorded in a number of spellings such as Sherwood, Sherewood and Shirwood, the name has medieval roots. The earliest known spelling is that of Ralph de Scirwode, dated 1273 in the Pipe Rolls of Lincoln. This document was produced during the reign of King Edward I, who reigned from 1272 to 1307. Later records include the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a Margareta de Shyrwode is listed, and early modern parish registers documenting unions such as William Sherwood and Dionise Butler in London in 1577, and John Sherwood and Judith Cooke at St. Thomas, the Apostle, in London in 1661.
The name is most famously associated with the forest in Nottinghamshire known as Sherwood Forest, the legendary home of Robin Hood. However, the place name itself originates from the pre‑7th‑century Old English phrase scir-wōd, which translates as cultivated woodland or bright wood, rather than the popularised image of a wild enchanted forest.
As a locational surname, Sherwood was used as a form of identification for individuals who had left the original locality and settled elsewhere. The designation denoted a person coming from Sherwood, providing a concise reference to a geographical origin in an era when surnames were still evolving. This practice was common in medieval England and helped to distinguish families within growing urban and rural communities.
In subsequent centuries the surname remained well documented, particularly in the city of York during the twentieth century. Its continued presence in contemporary records attests to the lasting nature of locational surnames derived from places of significant historical and cultural resonance across Britain.
Typical given names associated with the Sherwood surname
Male
- Andrew
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Claire
- Deborah
- Elizabeth
- Emma
- Jacqueline
- Jane
- Janet
- Julie
- Margaret
- Mary
- Nicola
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Sherwood in...
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Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Sherwood are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Jammie Dodger.
There are approximately 8,899 people named Sherwood in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,066th most common surname in Britain. Around 137 in a million people in Britain are named Sherwood.
Surname type: Location or geographical feature
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Sherwood
- Dominic Sherwood - Actor
- Tim Sherwood - Football player
- Alf Sherwood - Welsh football player (1923 to 1990)
- Shirley Sherwood - Botanist
- Steve Sherwood - Football player
- Sheila Sherwood - Long jumper
- Lydia Sherwood - Actress (1906 to 1989)
- Yorke Sherwood - Actor (1873 to 1956)
- James Sherwood - Comedian
- Percy Sherwood - Composer and pianist (1866 to 1939)
- David Sherwood - Tennis player
- Katie Sherwood - Welsh football player
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.