UK girl's name
Sharon
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "Plain" or "Fertile Valley".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Sharon is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Sharon popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2000, with 14 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2007, with 65 births.
This profile covers 1,007 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 22% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 5,952 living people in the UK are called Sharon. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Sharon ranked #2000 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 14 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2007, when 65 girls were registered as Sharon.
- • Sharon ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #366 in 2010.
- • About 5,952 living people in the UK are estimated to have Sharon as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#2000
2024
Births in 2024
14
Latest year
Peak year
2007
65 births
Estimated living
5,952
2026
Meaning
What does Sharon mean?
The name Sharon has its origins in the Hebrew language and can be traced back to ancient times. The name is derived from the Hebrew word "sharon," which means "plain" or "level ground." It is believed that the name was initially associated with the fertile coastal region known as the Sharon Plain, located in present-day Israel.
In biblical texts, the Sharon Plain is mentioned several times, including in the Book of Isaiah and the Song of Songs. The prophet Isaiah referred to the region as a place of great beauty and fertility, describing it as a place where "the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose" (Isaiah 35:1). This association with a lush and fruitful land may have contributed to the positive connotations of the name Sharon.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sharon can be found in the Bible, where it appears as the name of a district or region. There is also a mention of a woman named Sharon in the Book of Proverbs, though her identity and significance are unclear.
Throughout history, the name Sharon has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the earliest known was Sharon, the daughter of Caleb, mentioned in the Book of Numbers in the Bible. Another early bearer of the name was Sharon, a dancer and entertainer during the reign of King Herod in the 1st century BCE.
In more recent times, some famous individuals named Sharon include:
1. Sharon Tate (1943-1969), an American actress and model who was tragically murdered by members of the Manson Family cult. 2. Sharon Stone (born 1958), an American actress known for her roles in films like "Basic Instinct" and "Casino." 3. Sharon Osbourne (born 1952), an English television personality and wife of rock star Ozzy Osbourne. 4. Sharon Olds (born 1942), an American poet and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 2013. 5. Sharon Van Etten (born 1981), an American singer-songwriter and musician known for her indie rock and folk music.
While the name Sharon has roots in ancient Hebrew culture, it has gained widespread popularity and recognition across various regions and ethnicities over the centuries. The name's association with a fertile and beautiful land has likely contributed to its enduring appeal and positive connotations.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Sharon over time
The chart below shows babies named Sharon registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Sharon, the clearest high point is 2007. The latest England and Wales figure is 14 births in 2024, compared with 65 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Sharon by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Sharon was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #1911 | 73 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1257 | 289 | 10 |
| 2000s | #678 | 469 | 10 |
| 1990s | #581 | 176 | 4 |
Geography
Where Sharon is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Sharon. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Sharon ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #366 in 2010.
Across the UK
Sharon in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#638 in 2024
33 years of NRS records, 5,036 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#366 in 2010
7 years of NISRA records, 35 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Sharon
-
Sharon Morris
writer; poet
British writer and academic
2000-
-
Sharon Rooney
actor; film actor
Scottish actress
1988-
-
Sharon Marshall
television presenter; journalist
British journalist
1971-
-
Sharon Percy
actor; film actor
British actress
1971-
-
Sharon Page
swimmer
English swimmer
1971-
-
Sharon Nesmith
military officer
British Army officer
1970-
-
Sharon Marston
designer
British designer
1970-
-
Sharon Small
stage actor; film actor
British actress
1967-
Related
Names similar to Sharon
- Sophie 103,803
- Sophia 46,936
- Scarlett 34,261
- Sienna 32,418
- Sofia 29,136
- Sarah 27,961
- Shannon 25,510
- Summer 24,167
- Sara 14,205
- Skye 13,654
- Samantha 12,697
- Stephanie 9,309
FAQ
Sharon: questions and answers
How popular is the name Sharon in the UK right now?
In 2024, Sharon was ranked #2000 for girls in England and Wales, with 14 births registered.
When was Sharon most popular?
The peak year on record was 2007, with 65 babies registered as Sharon in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Sharon?
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "Plain" or "Fertile Valley".
How many people are called Sharon in the UK?
A total of 1,007 babies have been registered as Sharon across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 5,036 more in Scotland and 35 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Sharon most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Sharon ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #366 in 2010. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.