Sharman
An occupational surname derived from the term for a performer of shamanic rituals or spiritual practices.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,337 Americans carry the last name Sharman. That puts it at #22,481 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 256,361 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sharman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
1.3K
1 in 256,361
Census rank
#22,481
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,144 bearers of the surname Sharman in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22481st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sharman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sharman
The surname Sharman is of English origin, deriving from the Old English word "scir" meaning "bright" or "shining" and "mann" meaning "man". It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name is thought to have first appeared in the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in East Anglia, where it was initially used as a descriptive surname for individuals with a bright or radiant appearance or personality. The earliest recorded instance of the surname dates back to the 13th century, when a William Sharman was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk in 1273.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1327, where a John Sharman is listed. The Sharman family is also mentioned in the Visitation of Essex in 1612, indicating their presence in the county.
One of the earliest notable figures bearing the surname was Sir Ralph Sharman, a merchant and Member of Parliament for Norwich in the 16th century, who lived from around 1520 to 1580. Another prominent individual was Richard Sharman, a 17th-century English clergyman and academic who served as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford from 1662 to 1663.
In the 18th century, the Sharman family had a presence in Yorkshire, with William Sharman (1704-1771) being a notable figure who served as the Mayor of Leeds in 1757. The name also appeared in other parts of England, such as Warwickshire, where John Sharman (1729-1810) was a prominent landowner and farmer.
Moving into the 19th century, one of the most famous individuals with the surname was Henry Burton Sharman (1828-1893), a British civil engineer and railway contractor who was instrumental in the construction of several major rail lines in India during the British Raj.
Throughout history, the Sharman surname has been recorded with various spellings, including Shearman, Shurman, and Schurman, reflecting the influence of local dialects and regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sharman
Among Census respondents with the surname Sharman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Sharman 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.
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 Sharman surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7%
- Hispanic or Latino3.8%
- Two or more races3.2%
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Sharman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,481 | #22,481 | 0.0% |
| Count | 1,144 | 1,144 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.39 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Sharman bearers went from 1,144 to 1,144 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #22,481 to #22,481.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sharman
FAQ
Sharman surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Sharman?
The surname Sharman holds position #22,481 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 1,337 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Sharman surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sharman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.