SHARER

Sharer is a surname of English origin, with its roots traceable to the Anglo‑Saxon period. The earliest known form, Robert le Sherer, appears in the Feet of Fines of Cambridgeshire dated 1231, during the reign of King Henry XI.

The name is first and foremost recorded as an occupational surname. In the Middle English period it was associated with the word sharer, denoting a person who shares or divides goods, profits or land. Historically, this would have applied to individuals who acted as a sharer, assigning portions of produce or earnings to others.

Another plausible source of the surname derives from the Middle English word schere(n), which meant “to shear” and from the Old English sceran. Individuals bearing this name were commonly engaged in shearing wool or trimming cloth with shears, a trade that was vital in northern England and Scotland during the 13th and 14th centuries. The development of the surname can be traced through variations such as William le Scherer (1305, Hampshire), William Scherar (1324, Berwickshire), Eustace Schechare (1425, Scotland) and John Scaharrar (1587, Stirling). In the Yorkshire church registers one finds entries for James Shearer and Elizabeth Norcross (1727) and for George Shearer and Hanna Northouse (1794).

A further possible etymology links the surname to the Old English term scear, meaning “ploughshare.” Those who carried this name may have been farmers or labourers who prepared fields for sowing. As with many Middle English occupational names, the suffix -er denoted the individual’s role, making Sharer an appropriate surname for such men.

Over the centuries the name has accumulated a number of orthographic variants. These include Shearer, Sheara, Sherar, Sherer, Shirer, Sharr, Shar, Sharrer, Shara, Sharra, Sharar, Hashar and many others. In North America the surname was introduced in the mid‑1700s, mainly through Pennsylvania, where early settlers bore the name. Census data show a concentration in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York in the 1920s, with subsequent migration spreading the name to Illinois, Ohio, Maryland and Canada. By the early 21st century, approximately ten thousand Americans and three thousand Canadians carried the surname, with occurrences also recorded in Australia, Spain, France and other countries.

In conclusion, Sharer is an English surname with a well‑documented historical lineage rooted in occupational and geographical origins. Its many variants reflect the linguistic fluidity of the Middle Ages and the migrations of its bearers, while its continued prevalence attests to its enduring presence within the English‑speaking world.

Typical given names associated with the Sharer surname

Male

• David
• Ian
• Isaac
• Marc
• Stuart

Female

• Bella
• Hayley
• Kate
• Wendy

Similar and related surnames

Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.

How to communicate the surname Sharer in...

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