SHARMAN
The surname Sharman is of English origin and is an occupational name. It derives from the Middle English word scherman, meaning a shearer or a person who removes the uppercoat of a finished cloth with shears.
Occupational surnames such as Sharman developed when individuals were identified by their trades. In the case of the Sharman name, the reference to shearing reflects the importance of the wool industry and cloth finishing in medieval England. Contemporary records also recognise the role of a cloth‑finisher who trimmed the surface of the finest fabric to remove excess nap, a task for which the name was given.
Spelling variants of the surname—including Shearman, Sherman and Shurman—appear in surviving registers from the Middle Ages. The earliest known record dates to 1207, when a man named Roger Sereman is mentioned in the register of the freemen of Leicester. Further examples include William le Shereman of London (1281) and John Sherman of Suffolk (1327), as well as Philip Shareman of Essex (also 1327).
In the 14th century the city of York possessed one of the oldest cloth‑finishing guilds; membership was limited to those of the highest skill, and the surname Sharman was associated with this profession. Documentation from that period reflects the connection between the name and the trade, for instance the record of a Sherman engaged as a cloth finisher within the guild charter.
During the early nineteenth century the name Sharman was widely recognised in England, particularly in counties such as Berkshire, Hampshire and London. Census data from 1881 list it as the 1,717th most common surname in the United Kingdom. In the present day the surname remains relatively common in these counties and also appears in parts of Lancashire—specifically Preston and Bolton—and in the Midlands, including Warwickshire and Derbyshire.
Because of emigration and historical ties to the British Empire, the surname has spread to former colonies. In Canada it is most frequently found in Ontario and British Columbia; in the United States the name is most common in the Midwest and the Southern states such as Kentucky, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas. Australia records a high prevalence in New South Wales and Victoria. Diasporic communities from India and Pakistan also carry the surname, typically within Punjabi and Sikh families who migrated during the twentieth century.
Overall, the present distribution of the surname Sharman reflects its historical roots in the English wool and cloth trade, its early adoption by skilled craftsmen in medieval guilds, and the subsequent migration of bearers of the name across the globe. The combination of occupational origin, early documentary evidence and modern demographic data provides a clear picture of this surname’s heritage and contemporary presence.
Typical given names associated with the Sharman surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Peter
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Christine
- Debra
- Emma
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Rachel
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
- Suzanne
- Victoria
Similar and related surnames
- Chairman
- Charma
- Charmain
- Charman
- Charmans
- Charmant
- Charmantas
- Charmen
- Charmin
- Charmon
- Chauman
- Chearman
- Cheerman
- Cheriman
- Cherman
- Cherriman
- Cherryman
- Cheryman
- Chooramun
- Chreiman
- Churaman
- Churman
- Sarman
- Scarman
- Scharmann
- Schauerman
- Schauman
- Schaumann
- Schaverman
- Scherman
- Schiermann
- Schorman
- Schuerman
- Schuermann
- Schurman
- Schurmann
- Schurmans
- Schuurman
- Schuurmans
- Schwerman
- Searman
- Serman
- Shafferman
- Shaman
- Shamran
- Sharan
- Shareman
- Sharfman
- Sharm
- Sharma
- Sharmar
- Sharmeen
- Sharmen
- Sharmin
- Sharmon
- Sharpman
- Shawman
- Shearman
- Shearmon
- Sheerman
- Sheirman
- Shereman
- Sherma
- Sherman
- Shermand
- Shermann
- Shermen
- Shermin
- Shermon
- Shireman
- Shirman
- Shiromani
- Shoreman
- Shorman
- Shrman
- Shurman
- Sirman
- Skarman
- Sorman
- Surman
- Swarman
- Swearman
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Sharman in...
Braille
⠎⠓⠁⠗⠍⠁⠝
Morse
........-.-.--.--.
Semaphore
There are approximately 8,300 people named Sharman in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,142nd most common surname in Britain. Around 127 in a million people in Britain are named Sharman.
Surname type: Occupational name
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Sharman
- Helen Sharman - Chemist who became the first Briton in space
- Mark Sharman - Broadcasting administrator
- Colin Sharman, Baron Sharman - Businessman and baron
- Gopal Sharman - (1935 to 2016)
- Robert Sharman-Crawford - Member of the Senate of Northern Ireland and of the United Kingdom Parliament (1853 to 1934)
- Robin Sharman - Racing cyclist
- Elizabeth Sharman - Canoeist
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.