NameCensus.

UK surname

Sharpley

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "sharp or pointed clearing" or "glade with a sharply angled field."

In the 1881 census there were 383 people recorded with the Sharpley surname, ranking it #8,212 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 315, ranked #14,258, down from #8,212 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Prestbury, Stockport and Louth. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cheshire East, East Lindsey and Pendle.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sharpley is 510 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has fallen by 17.8%.

1881 census count

383

Ranked #8,212

Modern count

315

2016, ranked #14,258

Peak year

1911

510 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sharpley had 383 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #8,212 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 315 in 2016, ranked #14,258.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 510 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Sharpley surname distribution map

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

Distribution map

Sharpley surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

Back to top

Sharpley 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 298 #7,691
1861 historical 279 #8,979
1881 historical 383 #8,212
1891 historical 407 #8,750
1901 historical 470 #8,432
1911 historical 510 #7,718
1997 modern 345 #12,291
1998 modern 355 #12,418
1999 modern 352 #12,552
2000 modern 345 #12,693
2001 modern 343 #12,545
2002 modern 346 #12,733
2003 modern 346 #12,511
2004 modern 346 #12,544
2005 modern 335 #12,795
2006 modern 338 #12,779
2007 modern 341 #12,840
2008 modern 333 #13,175
2009 modern 336 #13,345
2010 modern 336 #13,613
2011 modern 329 #13,694
2012 modern 331 #13,538
2013 modern 336 #13,574
2014 modern 333 #13,770
2015 modern 325 #13,927
2016 modern 315 #14,258

Geography

Back to top

Where Sharpleys are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Prestbury, Stockport, Louth, Manchester and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cheshire East, East Lindsey, Pendle and Rutland. 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 Prestbury Cheshire
2 Stockport Cheshire
3 Louth Lincolnshire
4 Manchester Lancashire
5 London parishes London 2

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cheshire East 020 Cheshire East
2 East Lindsey 004 East Lindsey
3 Cheshire East 021 Cheshire East
4 Pendle 008 Pendle
5 Rutland 001 Rutland

Forenames

Back to top

First names often paired with Sharpley

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

Modern profile

Back to top

Neighbourhood profile for Sharpley

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

Rural Amenity

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

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

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, Sharpley 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

Sharpley 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

Sharpley falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

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

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sharpley is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

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

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

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

Meaning and origin of Sharpley

The surname Sharpley originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is a locational name derived from the place name Sharpley, located in Staffordshire. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "scearp" meaning sharp or pointed, and "leah" meaning a woodland clearing or meadow.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Sharpley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Scharpelie." This entry suggests the name was already well-established in the region during the 11th century.

In the 13th century, a family of landowners from Sharpley, Staffordshire, began using the surname Sharpley. One notable member of this family was Robert de Sharpley, who was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of 1273 as holding lands in the area.

By the 16th century, the surname had spread to other parts of England, with variations in spelling including Sharpeley, Sharpelie, and Sharplie. In 1592, a record shows a William Sharpley was baptized in the parish of St. Mary's, Nottingham.

Amongst the notable individuals bearing this surname throughout history are:

1. Thomas Sharpley (1594-1658), an English clergyman and author who served as Archdeacon of Berkshire.

2. John Sharpley (1619-1663), an English mathematician and astronomer, known for his work on calculating eclipses.

3. Richard Sharpley (1675-1742), a British military officer who served in the War of the Spanish Succession.

4. Elizabeth Sharpley (1820-1893), a British advocate for women's rights and a prominent member of the suffragette movement.

5. William Sharpley (1854-1924), a British industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Sharpley Engineering Company in Manchester.

As the surname spread across England, it also developed connections with various place names, such as Sharpley Heath in Lancashire and Sharpley Brook in Derbyshire, which likely contributed to the name's continued use and evolution.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

Back to top

Sharpley families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sharpley 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. Cheshire leads with 91 Sharpleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 11.03x.

County Total Index
Cheshire 91 11.03x
Lincolnshire 88 14.73x
Lancashire 58 1.31x
Yorkshire 44 1.19x
Middlesex 28 0.75x
Essex 16 2.17x
Derbyshire 14 2.39x
Staffordshire 10 0.79x
Surrey 8 0.44x
Sussex 5 0.79x
Cambridgeshire 4 1.69x
Kent 4 0.31x
Ayrshire 3 1.07x
Buckinghamshire 3 1.33x
Cumberland 2 0.62x
Berkshire 1 0.36x
Leicestershire 1 0.24x
Norfolk 1 0.17x
Suffolk 1 0.22x
Warwickshire 1 0.11x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Louth in Lincolnshire leads with 38 Sharpleys recorded in 1881 and an index of 277.57x.

Place Total Index
Louth 38 277.57x
Macclesfield 29 79.11x
Sutton In Macclesfield 25 292.06x
West Ham 15 9.21x
Broughton In Salford 14 34.54x
Rainow 10 609.76x
Hackney London 9 4.30x
Manchester 9 4.51x
Market Rasen 8 239.52x
South Elkington 8 1739.13x
West Ashby 8 1600.00x
Yeardsley Cum Whaley 8 490.80x
York St Maurice 8 114.78x
Ashton Under Lyne 7 7.22x
Bredbury 7 146.75x
Penistone 7 242.21x
Staveley 7 67.44x
Stoke Upon Trent 7 5.23x
Swinton In Rotherham 7 71.50x
Wakefield 7 24.63x
Gorton 6 14.40x
Hayfield 6 167.13x
Hulme 6 6.48x
Lambeth 6 1.84x
Stockport 6 14.14x
Kelstern 5 2272.73x
West Torrington 5 2500.00x
Biscathorpe 4 5000.00x
Chatham 4 11.41x
Habergham Eaves 4 9.87x
Hastings St Mary 4 25.51x
Kettleshulme 4 952.38x
Liverpool 4 1.49x
Moston 4 89.89x
Paddington London 4 2.91x
Shoreditch London 4 2.47x
Bromley London 3 3.65x
Chalfont St Peter 3 161.29x
Dringhouses 3 500.00x
Haddenham 3 134.53x
Hampstead London 3 5.16x
Holbeck 3 12.23x
Holy Trinity 3 3.37x
St Martin Lincoln 3 54.15x
St Quivox 3 31.75x
Titteworth 3 155.44x
York St Mary 3 19.57x
Authorpe 2 1000.00x
Beelsby 2 909.09x
Egremont 2 26.08x
Fulham London 2 3.69x
Barlings 1 166.67x
Bury 1 1.97x
Calcethorpe 1 526.32x
Chelsea London 1 0.89x
Clapham 1 2.14x
Clewer 1 8.70x
Colchester St Botolph 1 15.95x
Ditton 1 55.25x
Gaywood 1 97.09x
Glen Parva 1 103.09x
Hastings St Mary In The 1 7.44x
Henbury Cum Pexhall 1 178.57x
Islington London 1 0.28x
Monks Kirby 1 48.31x
Oldham 1 0.70x
Ollersett 1 87.72x
Richmond 1 3.92x
Salford 1 0.77x
Scott Willoughby 1 2000.00x
Spalding 1 8.44x
St Giles Cambridge 1 32.68x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 1 11.90x
Sutton Stoneferry 1 9.44x
Tockwith 1 135.14x
Tytherington 1 250.00x
Westminster St 1 7.26x
Wetherden 1 156.25x
York St Giles In 1 28.65x

Top female names

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

Name Count
Mary 29
Sarah 23
Elizabeth 15
Ann 10
Emma 10
Eliza 7
Margaret 7
Martha 6
Annie 5
Emily 5
Ellen 4
Alice 3
Amy 3
Hannah 3
Jane 3
Jessie 3
Rosa 3
Selina 3
Ada 2
Amelia 2
Caroline 2
Catherine 2
Edith 2
Florence 2
Frances 2
Harriet 2
Louisa 2
Lucy 2
Christianna 1
Clara 1
Constance 1
Elizth. 1
Esther 1
Ethel 1
Fanny 1
Florance 1
Gertrude 1
Grace 1
Janet 1
Jennie 1
Julia 1
Kate 1
Katherine 1
Laura 1
Lilliam 1
Lilly 1
Lizzie 1
Louise 1
Margt. 1
Treiza 1

Top male names

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

Name Count
John 20
James 17
William 16
Thomas 10
Joseph 9
Samuel 9
George 7
Robert 6
Arthur 5
Edward 5
Alfred 4
Harry 4
Albert 3
Marcus 3
Frank 2
Frederick 2
Herbert 2
Isaac 2
Jabez 2
Peter 2
Solomon 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Anthony 1
Charles 1
Coates 1
Cyrus 1
Douglas 1
Edwin 1
Ellis 1
Fred 1
Fredk. 1
Harold 1
Harrold 1
Hay 1
Henry 1
Hugh 1
Hugo 1
Isac 1
Johnus 1
Major 1
Mathew 1
Nathaniel 1
Octavia 1
P.H. 1
Percy 1
Reginald 1
Reuben 1
Rice 1
Roger 1

FAQ

Sharpley surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sharpley surname in 1881?

In 1881, 383 people were recorded with the Sharpley surname. That placed it at #8,212 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sharpley surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 315 in 2016. That gives Sharpley a modern rank of #14,258.

What does the Sharpley surname mean?

A habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "sharp or pointed clearing" or "glade with a sharply angled field."

What does the Sharpley map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sharpley 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.