2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sharky
A humorous surname associated with sharks or those who are cunning or crafty.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 137 Americans carry the last name Sharky. That puts it at #150,452 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,501,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sharky 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.
Sharky appeared in the 2010 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
137
1 in 2,501,856
Census rank
#150,452
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Sharky in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150452nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sharky, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (10.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sharky
Among Census respondents with the surname Sharky, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (10.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Sharky bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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 Sharky surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.8%
- Unknown or suppressed10.1%
- Black or African American10.1%
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sharky
Sharky appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+5 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,441 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 4,441 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
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Sharky surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20002010
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #146,011 | #150,452 | -3.0% |
| Count | 104 | 109 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Sharky bearers went from 104 to 109 (+4.8% change). The surname moved down 4,441 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,011 to #150,452.
FAQ
Sharky surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sharky?
Name Census estimates that about 137 living Americans carry the surname Sharky. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,501,856 residents.
How common is Sharky?
Sharky ranks #150,452 in the 2010 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 2010 Census file counted 109 people with the surname Sharky. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (137), 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 Sharky.
Has Sharky become more or less common over time?
Between 2000 and 2010, the surname Sharky went from 104 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 5 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,011 to #150,452.
What does the Census say about the background of Sharky?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sharky, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.8%. The next largest groups are Black (10.1%). These figures come from the 2010 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 Sharky in the 2010 Census, accounting for 79.8%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sharky appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2010 file are White (79.8%), Black (10.1%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Sharky appears here with 2010 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Sharky mean?
A humorous surname associated with sharks or those who are cunning or crafty. 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 2010 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 Sharky (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 surname Sharky?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.