The Sharpe surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 28,879 people carried this name — #1,226 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 10,200 people counted. That is up 4% from 27,862 in 2000.

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What the name means

The meaning of the Sharpe surname

As an English and Welsh surname

Bardsley classes it as a nickname: ‘the sharp’.

An early record he cites: Alexander Scharp, Buckinghamshire, 1273 — Hundred Rolls.

His entry covers Sharp and Sharpe.

From Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (London: Henry Frowde, 1901), p. 681 · public domain.

In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890

Ireland registered 17 births for the Sharpe name in 1890.

They were registered in all four provinces, most of all in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 800 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. 7 of them were indexed under other spellings of the name.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born, 1890

Ulster 12
Leinster 3
Connacht 1
Munster 1

Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.

In Argentina’s national register

At least 46 people named Sharpe live in Argentina.

RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Buenos Aires Province 36
City of Buenos Aires 10

RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

22 people named Sharpe live in Switzerland.

They live in 3 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Vaud.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Vaud 8
Zurich 8
Aargau 6

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

Among the farmers of England and Wales, 1880s

Sharpe was found among the farmers of 14 counties.

It was most frequent in Lincolnshire: 53 in every 10,000 farmers there — about 1 in 189. Guppy counted the farmers listed in each county’s directory and recorded a name only where it reached about 7 in every 10,000; where it does not appear, it was rarer than that, not absent. His list gives one count for the spellings Sharp and Sharpe.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Per 10,000 farmers, by county

Lincolnshire 53
Leicestershire and Rutland 38
Nottinghamshire 32
Cumberland and Westmorland 30
Kent 27
Northamptonshire 25
Berkshire 20
Yorkshire, West Riding 20

And 6 more counties.

H. B. Guppy, «Homes of Family Names in Great Britain» (London, 1890), alphabetical list of English and Welsh names — public domain · farmers in Kelly’s Post Office Directories of the 1880s, per 10,000 farmers in each county.

In Scotland’s registers today

Sharpe was recorded 28 times in Scotland’s registers of births, marriages and deaths in 2025.

That made it the 872nd most common name in those registers, shared with others on the same count. In 1975, the first year of the series, the count was 26. Each birth counts the child’s surname, each marriage both partners’ and each death the surname of the person who died — a yearly count of registrations, not of the people who live in Scotland.

National Records of Scotland, «Most Common Surnames, 2025» (published 26 May 2026): every surname recorded 10 or more times in the 2025 registers, and the series from 1975 · different spellings are counted separately — © Crown copyright 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

In 1790, Sharpe was counted together with Sharp: 211 families in all.

Each family is counted by its head. About 1,150 people lived in those households, 5.5 to a family on average. The census counted these spellings together: Sharp, Sharpe, Sherp. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 63
New York 43
North Carolina 33
Connecticut 18
Virginia 18
Maryland 13
South Carolina 11
Vermont 6
Massachusetts 5
New Hampshire 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 261 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Sharpe in American newspapers,
1904–1912.

Newspaper page from The Farmer And Mechanic carrying the name Sharpe
The Farmer And Mechanic 1912-11-05
Newspaper page from The News & Observer carrying the name Sharpe
The News & Observer 1904-02-07
Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Herald carrying the name Sharpe
The Salt Lake Herald 1904-02-07

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 121,932 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Sharpe in Australian newspapers,
1820s–2000s.

72,234 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sharpe. The most, 13,955, date from the 1930s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.3 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 30,307
Victoria 14,010
Queensland 12,133
Western Australia 6,728
South Australia 4,516
Tasmania 4,121
ACT (Canberra) 262
Northern Territory 58

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Sharpe.

Who carried it

People named Sharpe,
with a public archive behind them.

  • James Hill Sharpe d. 1930 · surveyor
  • James Sharpe d. 1645 · Christian minister
  • John Sharpe d. 1518
  • Lancelot Sharpe d. 1851
  • Catherine Sharpe d. 1695
  • Hester Sharpe d. 1767

Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Sharpe,
in the records of 8 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States2,851 records

2,851 records of the Sharpe name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 1,019
  • New York City birth, marriage and death certificates 417
  • Other U.S. records 1,415
  1. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Robert Ernest Sharpe

    Born 1951; from Lake Oswego, Oregon. U.S. Army, infantryman; killed in action 1971 in Quang Tin, South Vietnam. Buried at Willamette National Cemetery, Oregon.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record Eddie Sharpe

    Born 1924 in Tennessee. Enlisted 1943 at Camp Forrest; messenger from Davidson County. U.S. Army veteran of World War II; died 1988, buried at Nashville National Cemetery, Tennessee.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Richard Sharpe

    Arrived at New York in 1885 aboard the City of Chester from Liverpool and Queenstown, aged 24; operative. From Meroneth, Wales; bound for New Jersey.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)

Showing 3 of 2,851 records for Sharpe in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Famine Irish Passenger Records (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain) · Ramsey County, Minnesota (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain); U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Australia1,697 records

1,697 records of the Sharpe name in Australia
  • Victoria passenger lists, 1839–1923 864
  • Tasmanian Names Index 278
  • Other Australian records 555
  1. An 1829 etching of convicts being rowed out to the prison ship York in Portsmouth Harbour
    Pictured: convicts going on board a prison ship, 1829
    Transportation record Hannah Sharpe

    Transported to Van Diemen's Land aboard the Hindostan, sailing from London in 1839. Native of Little Totham, Essex. Applied for permission to marry in Van Diemen's Land in 1841. Married 1841 in Hobart, Tasmania, aged 30.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Alfred Henry Sharpe

    Died 1927 in Stevens Bridge, Tasmania. Will registered in Tasmania in 1928.

    Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record William Sharpe

    Arrived in Victoria in 1853 aboard the Asia, aged 26; English.

    Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 1,697 records for Sharpe in Australia.

Counts: Public Record Office Victoria (CC BY 4.0) · Libraries Tasmania, Tasmanian Names Index (CC BY 4.0) · Queensland State Archives (CC BY 4.0) · Museums of History NSW – State Archives Collection (CC BY) · State Library of Western Australia (CC BY 4.0) · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · ACT Government, Transport Canberra and City Services (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Prison-ship in Portsmouth Harbour, with the convicts going on board, etching by Edward William Cooke, 1829, Royal Museums Greenwich (public domain); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain).

Canada425 records

425 records of the Sharpe name in Canada
  • Nova Scotia Archives name indexes 230
  • Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver 53
  • Other Canadian records 142
  1. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record James Sharpe

    Left New York in 1783 aboard the L'Abondence, bound for Port Roseway, aged 48.

    Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia.
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record John Sharpe

    Came to Ontario in 1875 aboard the Peruvian, landing at Quebec, bound for Aurora, Ontario; English.

    Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario.
  3. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Alexander Sharpe

    Buried in 1979 at Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta, aged 81.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.

Showing 3 of 425 records for Sharpe in Canada.

Counts: Nova Scotia Archives. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Nova Scotia. · City of Vancouver. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Vancouver. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · City of Winnipeg. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Winnipeg. · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Archives of Ontario. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Ontario. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · City of Niagara Falls. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Niagara Falls. · Halifax Regional Municipality. Contains information licenced under the Open Government Licence—Halifax. Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0).

United Kingdom120 records

120 records of the Sharpe name in the United Kingdom
  • War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead 77
  • St James's burial ground, Euston (London), 1789–1853 29
  • Other British records 14
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Janet Sharpe

    Died 1934, aged 75; buried at Logie Cemetery, Stirling, Scotland.

    Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
  2. A petition to the probate court of St. Louis, 1848
    Example: probate petition, 1848
    Probate record Ellen Sharpe

    Will proved in 1926; of Talsarnau, Merioneth.

    National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0)
  3. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record A. Sharpe

    Northamptonshire Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1919.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Showing 3 of 120 records for Sharpe in the United Kingdom.

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain) · MOLA and HS2, St James's burial ground data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · Stirling Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. · National Library of Wales, Wills Index Cards (CC0) · National Library of Scotland, Rolls of Honour (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0); Petition to the probate court, St. Louis, 1848, Missouri Historical Society (public domain); C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

New Zealand28 records

28 records of the Sharpe name in New Zealand
  • Christchurch City cemetery records 24
  • Marlborough District cemetery records 2
  • Other New Zealand records 2
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Charlotte Ethel Sharpe

    Died 1944, aged 54; buried at Ruru Lawn, Christchurch, Canterbury.

    Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Alice W. Sharpe

    Died 1947, aged 68; buried at Ward Cemetery, Marlborough.

    Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Keith Robert Sharpe

    Buried in 1978 at Totara Memorial Park Cemetery, Thames-Coromandel District, Waikato.

    Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 28 records for Sharpe in New Zealand.

Counts: Christchurch City Council (CC BY 4.0) · Marlborough District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Thames-Coromandel District Council (CC BY 4.0) · Waimakariri District Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

Netherlands12 records

12 records of the Sharpe name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 5
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 4
  • Dutch population registers 3
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record William Hunter Sharpe

    Married in 1937 in Apeldoorn; accountant.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Mary Sharpe

    Married in 1789 in Zeist; born in Londen.

    Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Harrij Albert Sharpe

    Died 1873 in Gennep, aged 27.

    Open Archives, Regionaal Historisch Centrum Limburg (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 12 records for Sharpe in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Ireland1 record

1 record of the Sharpe name in Ireland County Galway graveyard records
  1. A page of the burial register of Newtown, Wales, 1858
    Example: burial register, 1858
    Burial record Bedelia Sharpe

    Died 1841, aged 21; buried at White Chapel, Co. Galway.

    Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Galway County Council (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Burial register of Newtown, Montgomeryshire, 1858, National Library of Wales (CC0).

France1 record

1 record of the Sharpe name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Gladys Elin Sharpe

    Born 1910 in Great Britain; died 1996 in Peyrolles-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Other spellings of this name

The same name, spelled another way.

Spellings that H. B. Guppy (England and Wales, 1890) or the Registrar-General for Ireland (births index of 1890) counted as one name together with Sharpe.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Sharpe.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Sharpe is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Sharpe volume
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