NameCensus.

UK surname

Sharples

A habitational surname referring to someone from Sharpies, a location in Lancashire, England.

In the 1881 census there were 5,244 people recorded with the Sharples surname, ranking it #848 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,953, ranked #1,364, down from #848 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Eccles, Manchester and Preston. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Hyndburn, Burnley and Wigan.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sharples is 6,563 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 5.5%.

1881 census count

5,244

Ranked #848

Modern count

4,953

2016, ranked #1,364

Peak year

1911

6,563 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sharples had 5,244 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #848 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,953 in 2016, ranked #1,364.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 6,563 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living.

Sharples surname distribution map

The map shows where the Sharples surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Sharples surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sharples over time

The 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 3,452 #825
1861 historical 3,512 #805
1881 historical 5,244 #848
1891 historical 5,612 #839
1901 historical 6,368 #872
1911 historical 6,563 #790
1997 modern 5,115 #1,276
1998 modern 5,316 #1,280
1999 modern 5,365 #1,280
2000 modern 5,303 #1,282
2001 modern 5,255 #1,265
2002 modern 5,315 #1,279
2003 modern 5,215 #1,268
2004 modern 5,170 #1,281
2005 modern 5,057 #1,293
2006 modern 5,043 #1,297
2007 modern 5,024 #1,314
2008 modern 5,065 #1,316
2009 modern 5,179 #1,314
2010 modern 5,199 #1,338
2011 modern 5,082 #1,348
2012 modern 4,949 #1,355
2013 modern 5,063 #1,346
2014 modern 5,078 #1,349
2015 modern 5,002 #1,355
2016 modern 4,953 #1,364

Geography

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Where Sharples' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Eccles, Manchester, Preston, Blackburn and Bolton-le-Moors. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Hyndburn, Burnley, Wigan, Blackburn with Darwen and Bolton. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Eccles Lancashire
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Preston Lancashire
4 Blackburn Lancashire
5 Bolton-le-Moors Lancashire

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Hyndburn 001 Hyndburn
2 Burnley 004 Burnley
3 Wigan 012 Wigan
4 Blackburn with Darwen 017 Blackburn with Darwen
5 Bolton 034 Bolton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sharples

These lists show first names that appear often with the Sharples surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sharples

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sharples, 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

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living

Nationally, the Sharples surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Inner Suburbs and Small Town Living, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Sharples household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Families with resident dependent children (but not students) are common. Established family groups and White ethnicity predominate, as do individuals born in the UK. They are more likely than the Supergroup average to have been resident in their terraced, semi-detached, or detached houses for more than one year. Levels of multiple car ownership are high. Properties are owned and typically have surplus living space. Associate professionals and administrative occupations are prevalent, and parents are likely to be in middle age or approaching retirement. Educational attainment is above the Supergroup average. Scattered developments and concentrations are found in many small towns.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Sharples is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sharples is most concentrated in decile 4 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname near the middle of the scale.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

4
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sharples falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sharples is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sharples, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sharples

The surname Sharples has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "scearp," meaning sharp or pointed, combined with "hyll," which signifies a hill or ridge. This suggests that the name initially referred to someone who resided near a sharp or pointed hill.

In the Domesday Book, a medieval manuscript recording landholdings in England, the earliest known spelling of the name appears as "Sharpehull" in the county of Lancashire. This region, particularly the areas around Blackburn and Bolton, is considered the ancestral home of the Sharples family.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Lancashire Assize Rolls of 1246, where a Robert de Sharpeles is mentioned. The name evolved over time, taking on various spellings such as Sharpeles, Sharpeles, and Sharples.

During the 16th century, the Sharples family established a notable presence in the town of Bolton, Lancashire. John Sharples (1537-1610), a prominent merchant and landowner, served as a bailiff of Bolton in 1585. His son, Richard Sharples (1570-1638), was a successful lawyer and a benefactor of the town.

Another notable figure was James Sharples (1825-1893), a British artist and portrait painter who gained recognition for his work in the United States. He was born in Feniscowles, near Blackburn, and is known for his portraits of notable figures, including U.S. Presidents James K. Polk and Andrew Johnson.

In the literary world, Michael Sharples (1928-2014), a British playwright and screenwriter, made significant contributions. His works included the play "The Judas Kiss" and the screenplay for the film "The Rainbow."

The Sharples surname has also been associated with academic excellence. Richard Sharples (1903-1984) was a distinguished British scholar and academic who specialized in classical Greek philosophy. He served as the Regius Professor of Greek at Oxford University from 1957 to 1970.

While the Sharples name originated in Lancashire, it has since spread to other parts of England and beyond, with many individuals bearing this surname making their mark in various fields throughout history.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sharples families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sharples surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 4,748 Sharples' recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.84x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 4,748 7.84x
Cheshire 152 1.35x
Yorkshire 65 0.13x
Staffordshire 48 0.28x
Middlesex 43 0.08x
Derbyshire 26 0.33x
Warwickshire 17 0.13x
Angus 14 0.30x
Durham 14 0.09x
Cumberland 13 0.30x
Leicestershire 13 0.23x
Westmorland 12 1.07x
Flintshire 8 0.58x
Worcestershire 8 0.12x
Denbighshire 7 0.36x
Hampshire 7 0.07x
Kent 6 0.03x
Wiltshire 6 0.13x
Carmarthenshire 4 0.19x
Lanarkshire 4 0.02x
Cambridgeshire 3 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 3 0.04x
Surrey 3 0.01x
Cornwall 2 0.03x
Shropshire 2 0.05x
Ayrshire 1 0.03x
Buckinghamshire 1 0.03x
Essex 1 0.01x
Glamorgan 1 0.01x
Gloucestershire 1 0.01x
Midlothian 1 0.01x
Suffolk 1 0.02x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Blackburn in Lancashire leads with 792 Sharples' recorded in 1881 and an index of 49.12x.

Place Total Index
Blackburn 792 49.12x
Preston 320 19.74x
Worsley 126 33.73x
Chorley 105 30.88x
Over Darwen 96 19.83x
Clifton 94 206.73x
Great Harwood 93 84.91x
Salford 88 4.94x
Manchester 86 3.16x
Great Bolton 83 10.34x
Little Bolton 83 10.65x
Accrington 82 14.88x
Walton Le Dale 72 44.22x
Bury 64 9.25x
Clayton Le Moors 61 51.88x
Radcliffe 57 19.51x
Wigan 56 6.61x
Livesey 55 51.72x
Rumworth 53 61.20x
Habergham Eaves 52 9.39x
West Derby 51 2.88x
Oswaldtwistle 49 22.89x
Farnworth 48 13.22x
Ardwick 45 8.23x
Brindle 44 210.63x
Tyldesley Cum Shakerley 43 24.65x
Rishton 42 59.09x
Toxteth Park 42 2.05x
Ribchester 41 179.04x
Hulme 40 3.16x
Little Lever 38 49.04x
Halliwell 35 15.87x
Tottington Lower End 35 12.15x
Witton 35 45.91x
Pemberton 34 14.07x
Hindley 32 12.39x
Ashton Under Lyne 31 2.34x
Liverpool 31 0.84x
Layton With Warbreck 29 13.04x
Hoghton 27 176.47x
Lower Darwen 27 33.95x
Oldham 27 1.38x
Pendlebury 27 21.10x
Barrow In Furness 26 3.15x
Everton 26 1.35x
Lancaster 26 7.21x
Barton Upon Irwell 25 5.48x
Church 25 29.22x
Moss Side 25 7.84x
Breightmet 23 86.27x
Dilworth 23 61.94x
Marple 23 29.72x
Mellor 23 119.92x
Openshaw 23 8.10x
Ince In Makerfield 22 7.80x
Chorlton On Medlock 21 2.18x
Tonge With Haulgh 21 17.80x
Alston 20 70.90x
Burnley 20 3.92x
Eccleston In Prescot 19 6.25x
Bradford 18 6.35x
Heaton Norris 18 5.22x
Westleigh 18 13.08x
Wilpshire 18 368.85x
Windle 18 5.28x
Balderstone 17 199.77x
Darcy Lever 17 48.72x
Higher Booths 17 15.56x
Horwich 17 25.72x
Orrell 17 22.56x
Pendleton In Salford 17 2.35x
Westhoughton 17 10.51x
Haslingden 16 6.38x
Stockport 16 2.76x
Wolverhampton 16 1.21x
Aspull 15 10.52x
Kirkdale 15 1.47x
Pendleton In Clitheroe 15 65.42x
Thornton In Fylde 15 11.31x
Tranmere 15 3.62x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sharples surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 424
Elizabeth 241
Alice 194
Sarah 166
Margaret 152
Jane 150
Ann 147
Ellen 134
Hannah 85
Martha 63
Annie 55
Nancy 40
Eliza 35
Catherine 34
Emma 33
Isabella 32
Ada 30
Betty 30
Frances 24
Esther 21
Betsy 20
Edith 20
Emily 18
Elizth. 17
Grace 17
Maria 17
Agnes 15
Louisa 15
Rachel 15
Charlotte 14
Fanny 14
Harriet 13
Rebecca 12
Susannah 12
Ruth 11
Amelia 10
Clara 10
Eleanor 10
Florence 10
Eliz. 9
Janet 9
Selina 9
Anne 8
Bertha 8
Lucy 8
Kate 7
Minnie 7
Amy 6
Dinah 6
Rose 6

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sharples surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 410
William 319
James 281
Thomas 265
Richard 130
Robert 92
George 84
Joseph 81
Henry 77
Edward 57
Charles 35
Peter 33
Samuel 31
Arthur 26
Albert 24
Alfred 21
Frederick 20
Walter 19
Isaac 16
Harry 15
Thos. 15
Wm. 14
Fred 13
Ernest 12
Herbert 12
David 11
Jacob 11
Ralph 11
Edwin 10
Geo. 10
Hugh 10
Frank 9
Lawrence 9
Alexander 8
Jas. 8
Abraham 7
Christopher 7
Daniel 7
Jno. 7
Moses 7
Abel 6
Adam 6
Mark 6
Roger 6
Bartholomew 5
Edmund 5
Francis 5
Richd. 5
Nathaniel 4
Stephen 4

FAQ

Sharples surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sharples surname in 1881?

In 1881, 5,244 people were recorded with the Sharples surname. That placed it at #848 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sharples surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,953 in 2016. That gives Sharples a modern rank of #1,364.

What does the Sharples surname mean?

A habitational surname referring to someone from Sharpies, a location in Lancashire, England.

What does the Sharples map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sharples bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

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.