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Sherry History Etymology Early Origins Early History Spelling Variations Early Notables Ranking

United States Canada Australia New Zealand

Contemporary Notables Related Stories Citations

Sherry History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
Ireland

Etymology of Sherry

What does the name Sherry mean?

The Sherry Ireland has two distinct sources. In southern Ulster, it was an Anglicized form of Gaelic Mac Searraigh, "son of Searrach," in turn derived from the Gaelic word "searrach," meaning a "foal." It was also an Anglicized form of the Gaelic Mac Séartha, "son of Séartha," that was taken on in Ireland by a Hodnett family of Welsh origin, after they had emigrated to County Cork. 1

Early Origins of the Sherry family

The surname Sherry was first found in at Courtmacsherry in County Cork (Irish: Corcaigh) the ancient Kingdom of Deis Muin (Desmond), located on the southwest coast of Ireland in the province of Munster, where they held a family seat, some say before the Anglo Norman invasion of Ireland by Strongbow in 1172.

Early History of the Sherry family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Sherry research. Another 115 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1130, 1230, 1473, 1506, 1522, 1527, 1531, 1534, 1540, 1550, 1664, 1799, 1837 and 1839 are included under the topic Early Sherry History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Sherry Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Sherry, Sharry, O'Sherry, McSherry, McShiarie and many more.

Early Notables of the Sherry family

Prominent amongst the family at this time was

Richard MacSherry who was killed at the battle of Muintis Eolais in County Leitrim in 1473
Richard Sherry or Shirrye (fl. 1550), was an English author, born about 1506 in the neighbourhood of London. In 1522 he became a demy of Magdalen College, Oxford, and graduated B.A. on 21 June 1527 an...
William McSherry SJ (1799-1839) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit, 18th President of Georgetown College (1837-1839) and a Jesuit provincial superior

Sherry Ranking

In the United States, the name Sherry is the 4,620^th most popular surname with an estimated 7,461 people with that name. 2

Sherry migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sherry Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Roger Sherry, who landed in Maryland in 1671 3
Nathaniel Sherry, aged 30, who arrived in New York in 1677
Nathaniel Sherry, aged 30, who landed in New York in 1677 3

Sherry Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Patrick Sherry, aged 25, who arrived in New York in 1812 3
James Sherry, aged 20, who arrived in Maryland in 1812 3
Mary Sherry, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 3
John Sherry, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1850 3
Catherine Sherry, aged 16, who arrived in New York, NY in 1850 3
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sherry migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Sherry Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

William Sherry, aged 18, a farmer, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Protector" in 1834
Mary Sherry, aged 16, a spinster, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Protector" in 1834
Mary Sherry, aged 24, a spinster, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Protector" in 1834
Daniel Sherry, aged 13, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Protector" in 1834
John Sherry, aged 12, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick aboard the ship "Protector" in 1834
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sherry migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Sherry Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. Nathaniel Sherry, English convict who was convicted in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Baring" in April 1815, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 4
Mr. William Sherry, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Charles Kerr" on 6th June 1837, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 5
Mr. Patrick Sherry, (b. 1819), aged 19, Irish labourer born in County Louth, Ireland who was convicted in Lancaster, Lancashire, England for 7 years for house robbery, transported aboard the "Bengal Merchant" on 24th March 1838, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
John Sherry, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Amity Hall" in 1850 7
Anne Sherry, aged 20, a housemaid, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Warren Hastings"
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Sherry migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Sherry Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. John Sherry, (b. 1801), aged 46, English settler born in Nottingham arriving as Detachment of the Royal New Zealand Fencibles travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 8
Mrs. Catherine Sherry Née Keaney, (b. 1819), aged 28, English settler travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 8
Miss Mary Ann Sherry, (b. 1839), aged 8, English settler travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 8
Mr. John Sherry, Jr., (b. 1842), aged 5, English settler travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 8
Mr. Patrick Sherry, (b. 1845), aged 2, English settler travelling aboard the ship "Sir Robert Sale" from Gravesend via Cork arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 11th October 1847 8
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Sherry (post 1700) +

Norman Burt "Norm" Sherry (1931-2021), American catcher, manager, and coach who played five seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB)
Norman Sherry (1925-2016), English-born, American novelist, biographer, and educator
Louis Sherry (1855-1926), American restaurateur, caterer and hotelier, founder of Sherry-Netherland Hotel in New York City
Lawrence Sherry (1935-2006), American Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher
Philip James Sherry MNZM JP (1933-2021), New Zealand broadcaster and politician who served as a newsreader from 1960 and 1990, including as one of three presenters selected to read the NZBC Network News
Nicholas John Sherry (b. 1955), Australian politician
Gordon Sherry (b. 1974), Scottish professional golfer
Sherry Lansing (b. 1944), born Sherry Lee Duhl, an American former film studio executive, Chairwoman of the Universal Music Group board of directors, she was the Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures and president of production at 20th Century Fox prior to her retirement
Sherry Coben (1953-2024), American writer
Sherry Lansing (b. 1944), American actress and first woman to head a Hollywood studio

Citations +

MacLysaght, Edward, Supplement to Irish Families. Baltimore: Genealogical Book Company, 1964. Print.
"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 16th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/baring
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 1st February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/charles-kerr
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th October 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/bengal-merchant
State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) AMITY HALL 1850. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1850AmityHall.gif
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html