Find out how popular the last name Sharky is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Sharky.

Sharky, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Sharky surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sharky in America

Sharky is the 150452nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sharky surname appeared 109 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Sharky.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sharky to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Sharky

The surname SHARKY is believed to have originated in Ireland, specifically in the counties of Cork and Kerry, during the 16th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "searrach," meaning a small shark or dogfish.

In the 1600s, the SHARKY name appeared in various records and manuscripts, including the Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns and the Annals of the Four Masters. One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing this name was John SHARKY, who was born in County Cork in 1612.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the SHARKY surname was concentrated in the fishing communities along the southwestern coast of Ireland. It is believed that some individuals with this name may have been involved in the fishing or maritime trades, given the connection to the word "shark."

In the late 19th century, the SHARKY surname began to spread beyond Ireland as a result of immigration. Notable individuals with this surname include:

1. Michael SHARKY (1846-1916), an Irish writer and journalist born in County Cork.
2. Patrick SHARKY (1873-1943), an Irish-American politician who served as a member of the New York State Assembly.
3. Catherine SHARKY (1897-1972), an Irish-American writer and poet known for her works on Irish culture and folklore.
4. James SHARKY (1906-1988), a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who founded the SHARKY Corporation in Toronto.
5. Robert SHARKY (born 1952), a Scottish actor best known for his roles in television series such as "Outlander" and "Game of Thrones."

The SHARKY surname has also been associated with various place names in Ireland, such as Sharky's Bridge in County Limerick and Sharky's Cove in County Cork. These place names likely derived from individuals or families with the SHARKY surname who lived in those areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sharky

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Sharky.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Sharky was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Sharky has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Sharky was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sharky, please contact us.

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