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Origins of the Sharp surname

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What does the name Sharp mean?

Sharp is a surname that originates in England. It is a descriptive nickname, given to someone who may have been particularly quick witted, keen or cutting, and then passed to their descendants. It derives from the Middle English 'scharpe' (Sharp) and arose during this period.

Alternative variations of the name Sharp

Sharp, Sharpe, Shairp, Sherp, Shairpe

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Where do most Sharps live?

In 1921, most Sharps lived in Yorkshire.


Census records trace your ancestors through each generation, so you can follow where your relatives lived through each decade.

Interesting facts about Sharps

How common is your surname?

160th most common surname in the UK

We have 241,000 records for the Sharp surname. The oldest one dates back to .

Who were Sharps most likely to marry?

Smiths

&

Browns

Our Marriage record sets tell us which families married Sharps.

What are the most common Sharp first names?

  • John
  • William
  • Mary
  • Elizabeth

Our birth record sets tell us the names of Sharp family members

Common jobs for Sharps

Men and women often performed different types of jobs, so these are displayed by gender to maintain their historical accuracy.

Common Female occupations for Sharps in 1921
Dressmaker

1,008

Domestic Servant

631

Laundress

586

House Servant

479

General Servant Domestic

463

Common Male occupations for Sharps in 1921
Agricultural Labourer

1,230

Coal Miner

1,175

General Labourer

814

Farmer

688

Farm Labourer

663

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Census records provide incredible detail on names, ages, marital statuses, occupations and more.

We found over 300,000 family trees with the Sharp surname

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