Sharp (surname) explained

Sharp is an English language surname, cognate to the German German: scharf. It is also akin to words which have the sense of scraping, e.g. Latin Latin: scrobis 'ditch', Russian Russian: skresti 'to scrape'.

Recorded variations of the surname include Sharp, Sharpe, Shairp, Sharpes,Sharps and the diminutives Sharpin, Sharplin and Sharpling. It originates from a medieval nickname, with the derivation from the Old English word "scearp", meaning sharp and used to describe a "sharp or smart" person.^{[1] [2]}

People bearing the surname Sharp

A

• Abraham Sharp (1651–1742), English schoolmaster, mathematician and astronomer
• Alan Sharp (1934–2013), Scottish author
• Alex Sharp (disambiguation), several people
• Anne Sharp (1916–2011), Scottish soprano
• Anthony Sharp (Quaker) (1643–1707), Dublin Quaker
• Anthony Sharp (1915–1984), English actor
• Archie Sharp (born 1995), British boxer
• Arthur Sharp (1905–1991), English footballer

B

• Bartholomew Sharp (c. 1650–1702), English buccaneer
• Billy Sharp (born 1986), English professional footballer
• Bree Sharp (born 1975), American singer and songwriter

C

• Cecil Sharp (1859–1924), English music teacher and traditional English dance expert
• Chris Sharp (born 1973), American singer
• Christopher Sharp (cricketer) (born 1964), former English cricketer
• Christopher Sharp (barrister) (born 1953), British barrister and Deputy High Court Judge
• Clifford Sharp, British journalist

D

• Dallas Lore Sharp (1870–1929), American nature author and university professor
• Dave Sharp (born 1959), English guitarist
• David Sharp (entomologist) (1840–1922), English physician and entomologist
• David Sharp (mountaineer) (1972–2006), Everest mountain climber
• Dee Dee Sharp (born 1945), American rhythm and blues singer
• Dennis Sharp (1933-2010), British architect
• Derrick Sharp (born 1971), American-Israeli professional basketball player
• Don Sharp (1922-2011), British film director
• Dorothea Sharp (1874–1955), British artist
• Dudley C. Sharp (1905–1987), former Secretary of the United States Air Force

E

• Elliott Sharp (born 1951), American avant-garde musician

F

• Frank Sharp (disambiguation)

G

• Gene Sharp (1928–2018), political scientist
• George Sharp (footballer)
• Graeme Sharp (born 1960), Scottish footballer
• Granville Sharp (1735–1813), English abolitionist

H

• Hap Sharp (1928–1993), American Formula One driver
• Harry Sharp (disambiguation)

I

• Isaac Sharp (1681–1735), early New Jersey settler, judge, politician, and colonel
• Isadore Sharp (born 1931), Canadian businessman

J

• Jack Sharp (1878–1938), English international footballer and test cricketer
• Jamarion Sharp (born 2001), American basketball player
• James E. Sharp (born 1940), American lawyer
• James Sharp (bishop) (1613–1679), Scottish clergyman
• James Sharp (footballer, born 1869), Scottish footballer
• James Sharp (footballer, born 1894), Scottish footballer
• James Sharp (footballer, born 1976), English footballer
• John Sharp (actor) (1920–1992), British television actor
• John Sharp (Archbishop of York) (1643–1714), Archbishop of York
• John Sharp (Australian politician) (born 1954), Australian politician
• John Sharp (Texas politician) (born 1950), a former Texas politician
• Jon Sharp, former head coach of Huddersfield Giants
• Jonathan Sharp (1964-2009), English record producer
• Joseph Sharp (c. 1709–1776), early settler of New Jersey
• Joseph Henry Sharp (1859–1953), artist (Taos Art Colony)
• Julia Sharp, American statistician
• J. W. Sharp (c. 1818–1856), English comic entertainer

K

• K. B. Sharp (born 1981), professional women's basketball player
• Katharine Dooris Sharp (1846–1935), American botanist and poet
• Kevin Sharp (1970–2014), American country music artist
• Kevin Sharp (footballer) (born 1974), Canadian-born footballer
• Kevin Sharp (heavy metal), American heavy metal singer for Venomous Concept and Brutal Truth

L

• Leonard Sharp (1890–1958), British actor
• Lesley Sharp (born 1964), English actress
• Lester W. Sharp (1887–1961), American botanist
• Liam Sharp (born 1968), British comic book artist
• Linda K. Sharp, women's basketball coach
• Lindsay Sharp, museum director

M

• Maia Sharp, country music singer and songwriter
• Margaret Sharp, Baroness Sharp of Guildford (born 1938), member of the British House of Lords
• Margery Sharp (1905–1991), English writer
• Martha Sharp (1905–1999), American philanthropist
• Martin Sharp (1942–2013), Australian cartoonist, songwriter and film-maker
• Martin Sharp (historian) (1847–1910), English historian
• Matt Sharp (born 1969), American rock bassist
• Minnie Bell Sharp (1865–1937), pianist and singer
• Mitchell Sharp (1911–2004), Canadian politician

N

• Norm Sharp (1934–2014), AFL 1952 premiership player
• Norma Sharp (born 1943), American operatic soprano

P

• Pat Sharp (born 1961), British television presenter
• Patrick Sharp (born 1981), Canadian ice hockey centre
• Peter Sharp, Australian rugby league footballer and coach
• Philip Sharp (disambiguation), multiple people
• Phillip Allen Sharp (born 1944), American geneticist and molecular biologist

R

• Randy Sharp, songwriter
• Ray Sharp (born 1969), Scottish footballer
• Ray Sharp (badminton), Badminton player and medallist in 1970 British Commonwealth Games
• Rhod Sharp (born 1953), Scottish-born broadcaster
• Richard Sharp (politician) known as Conversation Sharp, English wit
• Richard Sharp (rugby union) (born 1938), English rugby player
• Rodney Sharp a director of the DuPont corporation
• Ronald Sharp (1929–2021), Australian organ builder
• Ryan Sharp (born 1979), British race car driver

S

• Sage Sharp (born 1985), American software engineer
• Samuel Sharp (disambiguation)
• Scott Sharp (born 1968), an American race car driver
• Solomon P. Sharp (1787–1825), American politician
• Steve Sharp (disambiguation)
• Susie Sharp (1907–1996), American jurist
• Sylver Logan Sharp, vocalist

T

• Terri Sharp (1948-2015), American singer
• Thomas Sharp (priest) (1693–1758), English churchman (Archdeacon of Northumberland), biographer and theological writer
• Thomas C. Sharp (1818-1894), opponent of Joseph Smith, Jr. and the Latter Day Saints
• Thomas Wilfred Sharp (1901–1978), English town planner and author
• Timm Sharp (born 1978), American actor
• Tom Sharp (cricketer), English first-class cricketer for Cornwall CCC and Unicorns

V

• Verity Sharp (born 1970), BBC Radio Three presenter

W

• Waitstill Sharp (1902–1984), American Unitarian minister and humanitarian
• Walter Benona Sharp (1870–1912), American oil drilling pioneer, innovator and philanthropist
• Wanda Sharp (born 1950), American politician
• Wilf Sharp (1907–1981), English footballer with Airdrieonians and Sheffield Wednesday
• William Sharp (engraver) (1749–1824), English engraver
• William Sharp (writer) (1855–1905), Scottish author and poet, pseudonym Fiona MacLeod
• William Graves Sharp (1859-1922), American lawyer, Congressman and diplomat
• Willie Sharp (1922–1992), Scottish footballer
• Willoughby Sharp (1936–2008), artist

Z

• Zerna Sharp (1889–1981), American teacher

Fictional characters

• Becky Sharp, protagonist of Vanity Fair (novel), William Makepeace Thackeray's novel
• Deryn Sharp, in Leviathan, a Scott Westerfeld novel
• Gavin Sharp, in the soap opera EastEnders
• John Sharp, the player character in the 2011 video game Cabela's Big Game Hunter 2012
• Phineas Sharp, a villain in the Disney animated series Darkwing Duck
• Aesop Sharp, a professor in the Harry Potter series in the 2023 video game called Hogwarts Legacy

See also

• General Sharp (disambiguation)
• Justice Sharp (disambiguation)
• Senator Sharp (disambiguation)
• Sharp (disambiguation)
• Sharpe (surname)
• Shairp
• Scharf, Scharff

Notes and References

1. Web site: Surname Database: Sharp Last Name Origin .
2. Book: Hanks . Patrick . The Oxford dictionary of family names in Britain and Ireland . 2016 . Oxford, United Kingdom . 9780199677764 . First . 26 September 2022 . Sharp.