UK surname
An aquatic animal surname possibly denoting fierce or predatory characteristics.
In the 1881 census there were 76 people recorded with the Shark surname, ranking it #22,745 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 23, ranked #36,457, down from #22,745 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Tormoham with Torquay, Halifax and Bingley. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Shark is 270 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 69.7%.
1881 census count
76
Ranked #22,745
Modern count
23
2016, ranked #36,457
Peak year
1861
270 bearers
Map years
2
1861 to 1891
Key insights
Map
Back to topThe map shows where the Shark surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.
Distribution map
Shark surname density by area, 1891 census.
Timeline
Back to topThe table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.
| Year | Period | Count | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1851 | historical | 77 | #19,998 |
| 1861 | historical | 270 | #9,216 |
| 1881 | historical | 76 | #22,745 |
| 1891 | historical | 124 | #20,818 |
| 1901 | historical | 81 | #25,130 |
| 1911 | historical | 80 | #24,821 |
| 1997 | modern | 4 | #38,094 |
| 1998 | modern | 5 | #37,861 |
| 1999 | modern | 3 | #38,318 |
| 2000 | modern | 3 | #38,248 |
| 2001 | modern | 4 | #37,862 |
| 2002 | modern | 3 | #38,152 |
| 2003 | modern | 2 | #38,424 |
| 2004 | modern | 3 | #38,241 |
| 2005 | modern | 3 | #38,312 |
| 2006 | modern | 7 | #37,634 |
| 2007 | modern | 7 | #37,687 |
| 2008 | modern | 7 | #37,735 |
| 2009 | modern | 10 | #37,446 |
| 2010 | modern | 7 | #37,904 |
| 2011 | modern | 5 | #38,168 |
| 2012 | modern | 13 | #37,169 |
| 2013 | modern | 14 | #37,127 |
| 2014 | modern | 19 | #36,740 |
| 2015 | modern | 21 | #36,574 |
| 2016 | modern | 23 | #36,457 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Tormoham with Torquay, Halifax, Bingley, St Pancras and Alston. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tormoham with Torquay | Devon |
| 2 | Halifax | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 3 | Bingley | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 4 | St Pancras | London (North Districts) |
| 5 | Alston | Cumberland |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Shark surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Shark, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.
These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.
The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.
UK neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Shark surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Shark household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Shark is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Shark is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Shark, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname "SHARK" is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from an occupational name, referring to someone who hunted or worked with sharks. This could have been a fisherman, a merchant dealing in shark products, or even someone who lived near an area known for shark activity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "SHARK" can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from the year 1296, where it appears as "Sharke". This suggests that the name was already established in southern England by the late 13th century.
Another early mention of the surname is in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, which lists a "William Shark". This indicates that the name had spread to other parts of England by the late 14th century.
The name "SHARK" may also have been influenced by the Old English word "scearca", which means "robber" or "plunderer". This could suggest that some bearers of the name may have been associated with piracy or other maritime activities in the past.
One notable historical figure with the surname "SHARK" was Sir John Shark (1564-1628), an English sea captain and explorer who was involved in several voyages to the West Indies and the Americas in the early 17th century.
Another prominent bearer of the name was William Shark (1675-1742), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.
In the 19th century, Thomas Shark (1817-1892) was a British industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Shark Engineering Company, which played a crucial role in the development of early steam engines and machinery.
A more recent example is Margaret Shark (1935-2012), a Canadian writer and poet who was renowned for her works exploring themes of nature, Indigenous culture, and the Canadian identity.
Finally, one cannot overlook the legacy of Sir David Shark (1920-2005), a distinguished British diplomat and statesman who served as the Ambassador to several countries and played a pivotal role in various international negotiations during the latter half of the 20th century.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Shark surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Yorkshire leads with 13 Sharks recorded in 1881 and an index of 1.77x.
| County | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire | 13 | 1.77x |
| Lancashire | 12 | 1.36x |
| Middlesex | 9 | 1.21x |
| Durham | 6 | 2.72x |
| Devon | 5 | 3.24x |
| Surrey | 5 | 1.38x |
| Midlothian | 4 | 4.03x |
| Staffordshire | 4 | 1.60x |
| Cumberland | 3 | 4.70x |
| Kent | 3 | 1.19x |
| Perthshire | 3 | 9.02x |
| Lanarkshire | 2 | 0.83x |
| Aberdeenshire | 1 | 1.46x |
| Ayrshire | 1 | 1.80x |
| Clackmannanshire | 1 | 16.34x |
| Essex | 1 | 0.68x |
| Northamptonshire | 1 | 1.43x |
| Northumberland | 1 | 0.91x |
| Sussex | 1 | 0.80x |
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Hindley in Lancashire leads with 8 Sharks recorded in 1881 and an index of 213.33x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Hindley | 8 | 213.33x |
| South Duffield | 8 | 16000.00x |
| Clerkenwell London | 4 | 22.87x |
| Eccleston In Prescot | 4 | 90.50x |
| Edinburgh St Cuthberts | 4 | 10.01x |
| Lambeth | 4 | 6.19x |
| Tormoham | 4 | 61.26x |
| Walsall Foreign | 4 | 30.96x |
| Bradford | 3 | 16.87x |
| Caldewgate | 3 | 85.71x |
| Deptford St Paul | 3 | 15.38x |
| St Pancras London | 3 | 5.03x |
| Gateshead | 2 | 12.11x |
| Lamesley | 2 | 168.07x |
| Allendale | 1 | 98.04x |
| Alloa | 1 | 33.67x |
| Auckinleck | 1 | 58.14x |
| Barlavington | 1 | 2000.00x |
| Barony | 1 | 1.65x |
| Battersea | 1 | 3.67x |
| Bethnal Green London | 1 | 3.11x |
| Bramley In Bramley | 1 | 35.59x |
| Crieff | 1 | 80.65x |
| Glasgow | 1 | 2.35x |
| Heworth | 1 | 23.04x |
| Holy Trinity | 1 | 5.66x |
| Inverurie | 1 | 128.21x |
| Logie | 1 | 84.03x |
| Monkwearmouth | 1 | 47.39x |
| Northampton All Sts | 1 | 42.19x |
| Perth East Church | 1 | 31.85x |
| Plymouth St Andrew | 1 | 8.42x |
| St Marylebone London | 1 | 2.53x |
| Stanford Le Hope | 1 | 476.19x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Shark surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Shark surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Shark households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Scholar | 8 |
| Ag Lab | 1 |
| Annuitant | 1 |
| Assistant To Father | 1 |
| Captain In The Army Active (Offcr) | 1 |
| Chair Maker | 1 |
| Coal Miner | 1 |
| Coal Porter | 1 |
| Cook | 1 |
| Drapers Assistant | 1 |
| Drayman | 1 |
| Factory Hand (Cotton Manuf) | 1 |
| Farm Laborer | 1 |
| Fishmonger | 1 |
| French Polisher | 1 |
| Game Keeper | 1 |
| Gamekeeper | 1 |
| Glass Cutter | 1 |
| Grocer | 1 |
| Groom | 1 |
| Laber | 1 |
| Labourer In Iron Works | 1 |
| Lead Ore Miner (Unemployed) | 1 |
| Plasterer | 1 |
| Private Secretary (Lit Sc) | 1 |
| Quarriorman | 1 |
| Rouler Lifter | 1 |
| Sawyer | 1 |
| Scavenger In Cotton Mill | 1 |
| Vet Surgeon | 1 |
| Visitor | 1 |
| Wife | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 76 people were recorded with the Shark surname. That placed it at #22,745 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 23 in 2016. That gives Shark a modern rank of #36,457.
An aquatic animal surname possibly denoting fierce or predatory characteristics.
The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Shark bearers relative to the surrounding population.
The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.