Sharp (surname)

Sharp is an English language surname, cognate to the German scharf. It is also akin to words which have the sense of scraping, e.g. Latin scrobis 'ditch', Russian skresti 'to scrape'.^{[citation needed]}

Recorded variations of the surname include Sharp, Sharpe, Shairp, Sharpes,Sharps^[1] and the diminutives Sharpin, Sharplin and Sharpling.^{[citation needed]} 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.^[2]^[1]

People bearing the surname Sharp[edit]

A[edit]

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[edit]

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

C[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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

F[edit]

Frank Sharp (disambiguation)

G[edit]

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

H[edit]

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

I[edit]

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

J[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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 (journalist) (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[edit]

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

P[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Verity Sharp (born 1970), BBC Radio Three presenter

W[edit]

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[edit]

Zerna Sharp (1889–1981), American teacher

Fictional characters[edit]

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

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b Hanks, Patrick (2016). "Sharp". The Oxford dictionary of family names in Britain and Ireland (First ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom. ISBN 9780199677764. Retrieved 26 September 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ "Surname Database: Sharp Last Name Origin".

[oxford-1] Hanks, Patrick (2016). "Sharp". The Oxford dictionary of family names in Britain and Ireland (First ed.). Oxford, United Kingdom. ISBN 9780199677764. Retrieved 26 September 2022.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[2] "Surname Database: Sharp Last Name Origin".

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