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

Sherpa, 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 Sherpa surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sherpa in America

Sherpa is the 13949th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sherpa surname appeared 2,164 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Sherpa.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sherpa 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 Sherpa

The surname "SHERPA" originates from Tibet, a region located in the Himalayan mountain range spanning parts of modern-day China, India, and Nepal. The name traces its roots back to the 15th century, derived from the Tibetan word "shār-pa," which translates to "people of the east."

The Sherpas are an ethnic group indigenous to the high altitudes of the Himalayas, renowned for their expertise in mountaineering and their role as guides and porters for expeditions in the region. The name "SHERPA" is closely tied to their nomadic lifestyle and their adaptation to the harsh conditions of the Himalayan terrain.

Historical records suggest that the Sherpas have inhabited the Solu-Khumbu region of Nepal for centuries, with their traditional settlements situated in valleys and villages near the base of Mount Everest. The earliest known written mention of the Sherpas can be found in the travel accounts of Jesuit missionaries and Tibetan scholars from the 17th century.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname "SHERPA" is Tenzing Norgay (1914-1986), a renowned Nepalese-Tibetan Sherpa mountaineer who, along with Sir Edmund Hillary, became the first individuals to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953. Tenzing Norgay's achievement brought global recognition to the Sherpa community and their invaluable contributions to mountaineering expeditions.

Another notable figure is Apa Sherpa (born c. 1960), a Nepali Sherpa mountaineer who holds the record for the most ascents of Mount Everest, having successfully summited the peak 21 times between 1990 and 2011. His remarkable achievements have earned him international acclaim and respect within the mountaineering community.

The name "SHERPA" has also been associated with various place names in the Himalayan region, such as the Sherpa villages of Namche Bazaar and Khumjung, as well as the Sherpa monastery of Tengboche, all located in the Khumbu region of eastern Nepal.

Ang Rita Sherpa (1948-2021) was a legendary Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer, known for his numerous successful ascents of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. He summited Everest ten times, earning him the nickname "Snow Leopard."

Lhakpa Sherpa (born 1973) is a Nepali Sherpa mountaineer who holds the record for the most Mount Everest summits by a woman, having successfully reached the peak nine times between 2000 and 2018.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sherpa

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

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

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

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