Total births
39,190
Boys' name · since 1880
Sherman
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 39,190 babies named Sherman, peaking in 1950. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4701
- among boys today
- 39,190
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 67%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Sherman is the #4701 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 39,190 recorded since 1880.
Sherman has 39,190 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #4701 as of the latest data, more common than 67% of boys, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #4701 among boys today
- 39,190 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 67% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sherman is currently the #4701 boys' name in America, more common than 67% of boys - 39,190 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #4701
- among boys today
- 39,190
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 67%
- more common than other boys
Sherman vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4701
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 67% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Sherman was born in this single decade.
1950
Single peak year
635 babies were named Sherman in 1950 - its busiest year on record.
How Sherman compares
39,190 Top 4% higher than 96% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Sherman's all-time total is 107x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sherman | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 39,190 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 635 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sherman's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Sherman splits its recorded history at 1953: 42% of all births land in the more recent half, 58% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 2023 (19 births) -- compare that against the 1950 peak of 635 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Sherman at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1950
Current rank
#4,701
Active since
1880
Sherman popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1950)
- 635
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Sherman popularity over time - girls
203 total births recorded since 1916 (Sherman as girls' name)
Sherman by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Sherman's strongest decade.
5,787 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Sherman births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 615
1880s
615 births
- 1890s 766
1890s
766 births
- 1900s 838
1900s
838 births
- 1910s
1910s
3,372 births
- 1920s
1920s
5,059 births
- 1930s
1930s
4,833 births
- 1940s
1940s
5,456 births
- 1950s
1950s
5,787 births
- 1960s
1960s
4,296 births
- 1970s
1970s
3,280 births
- 1980s 2,248
1980s
2,248 births
- 1990s 1,351
1990s
1,351 births
- 2000s 715
2000s
715 births
- 2010s 416
2010s
416 births
- 2020s 158
2020s
158 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 5,787 births (15% of all-time use).
How Sherman compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Sherman's total volume
Sherman vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Sherman by state
Where Sherman concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 2,146 | 5.5% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 1,807 | 4.6% |
| #3 | Virginia | | 1,742 | 4.4% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 1,681 | 4.3% |
| #5 | California | | 1,662 | 4.2% |
| #6 | New York | | 1,622 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Kentucky | | 1,615 | 4.1% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 1,603 | 4.1% |
Texas share of Sherman's total US births 5.5%
Even split
2,146 of 39,190 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 45 reporting states.
Sherman appears in 45 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sherman? ▼
Sherman has been given to 39,190 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4701 as of the latest data. 635 babies were born in 1950, its single highest year.
When was Sherman most popular? ▼
Sherman was most popular in the 1950s decade with 5,787 total births. The single peak year was 1950.
Where is Sherman most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sherman are Texas (2,146 births), Illinois (1,807 births), Virginia (1,742 births).
How long has the name Sherman been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Sherman since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Sherman? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sheldon, Shelby, Shelton, Shea, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sherman's data
- Sherman's decade-level peak was the 1950s (5,787 total births); usage has since declined to 158 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Shermans (2,146 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sherman
Nearby Names Like Sherman
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sherman
Sheldon Boy
#1940 36,676 births
Shelby Boy
#2595 16,449 births
Shelton Boy
#4707 11,973 births
Shea Boy
#1497 8,537 births
Shepherd Boy
#310 7,785 births
Compare Sherman side by side: Sherman vs Sheldon Sherman vs Shelby Sherman vs Shelton
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sherman
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sherman: #4701 Boys' Name - 39,190 Births, Peak 1950." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sherman. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Sherman draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.