2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sharkus
A surname derived from the Greek word for "shark".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Sharkus. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sharkus surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Sharkus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sharkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sharkus
The surname Sharkus is believed to have originated in the coastal regions of northern Portugal during the late 15th century. It is derived from the Portuguese word "sharko," which means "shark." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near the ocean and had a connection to fishing or maritime activities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sharkus can be found in a 16th-century maritime log from a Portuguese fishing vessel. The log mentions a crew member named Joao Sharkus, who was a skilled navigator and fisherman. This record provides evidence that the name was in use during this time period and was associated with seafaring occupations.
In the 17th century, the name Sharkus began to appear in various parish records and legal documents across northern Portugal. One notable individual was Maria Sharkus, born in 1632 in the coastal town of Viana do Castelo. She was known for her family's successful fishing business and her involvement in local trade and commerce.
As Portuguese explorers and settlers ventured to other parts of the world, the name Sharkus spread to different regions. In the 18th century, there are records of a man named Antonio Sharkus who was part of a Portuguese expedition to Brazil. He eventually settled in the coastal city of Salvador and established a successful fishing trade.
In the 19th century, the Sharkus name gained prominence in the Azores Islands, an autonomous region of Portugal. One of the most notable figures was Manuel Sharkus (1823-1892), a prominent whaling captain and ship owner based in the island of Faial. His exploits and success in the whaling industry brought recognition to the Sharkus name in the region.
Another significant individual was Joana Sharkus (1867-1932), a philanthropist and community leader from the island of Pico. She was instrumental in establishing several schools and hospitals, using her wealth and influence to improve the lives of the local population.
Throughout its history, the surname Sharkus has maintained a strong connection to maritime activities and coastal regions, reflecting its origins and the occupations of those who bore the name in earlier times.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sharkus
Among Census respondents with the surname Sharkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sharkus bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Sharkus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 97
- Two or more races6.7% · 7
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sharkus
Sharkus appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+9 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 400 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-14 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,832 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.2%) | Down 400 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 12,832 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Sharkus surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #140,157 | #152,989 | -9.2% |
| Count | 119 | 105 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sharkus bearers went from 119 to 105 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 12,832 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #152,989.
FAQ
Sharkus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sharkus?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Sharkus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Sharkus?
Sharkus ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Sharkus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Sharkus.
Has Sharkus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sharkus went from 119 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 14 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Sharkus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sharkus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%) and Black (1.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Sharkus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sharkus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (6.7%), Black (1.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Sharkus (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Sharkus mean?
A surname derived from the Greek word for "shark". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Sharkus (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Sharkus?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Sharkus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.