Detective Stories SHERLOCK | Page 6

Sherlock Holmes was originally going to be called Sherrinford.

The name was altered to Sherlock, possibly because of a cricketer who bore the name. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Holmes, was a fan of cricket and the name ‘Sherlock’ appears to have stuck in his memory. Doyle was also a keen cricketer himself, and between 1899 and 1907 he played ten first-class matches for the Marylebone Cricket Club — quite fitting, since Baker Street is situated in the Marylebone district of London.