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

Sharper, 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 Sharper surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sharper in America

Sharper is the 23691st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sharper surname appeared 1,069 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 Sharper.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sharper 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 Sharper

The surname Sharper has its origins in England, dating back to the late 14th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "scearp," meaning "sharp" or "keen." It was likely initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a sharp or keen personality or intellect.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sharper can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Warwickshire in 1332, where a John le Scharper is mentioned. The use of the prefix "le" before the surname was common practice during this period, indicating that the name was still considered a descriptive nickname rather than a hereditary surname.

In the 15th century, the name appears in various records with slight variations in spelling, such as Sharper, Scharper, and Scherper. This was a common occurrence during this time, as standardized spelling had not yet been established.

The Sharper surname can be traced to various regions in England, including Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include:

1. Thomas Sharper (1574-1630), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge.
2. John Sharper (1588-1654), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Stratford-upon-Avon during the English Civil War.
3. Henry Sharper (1645-1709), an English architect and surveyor who worked on several prominent buildings in London, including the Old Bailey Central Criminal Court.
4. Edward Sharper (1762-1842), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was decorated for his bravery.
5. William Sharper (1809-1875), a renowned English botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy and horticulture.

While the Sharper surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and immigration. However, the history and origins of the name remain firmly rooted in the English language and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sharper

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

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 Sharper 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 Sharper 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 Sharper was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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