SHARPLES
The surname Sharples is of English origin, recorded within the British Isles and used by families throughout England.
It is generally understood to be a locational name, first applied to persons residing near a distinctive geographic feature. The Old English word scearp, meaning sharp or steep, combines with the element hyl, meaning hill, to form a topographic designation for those living beside an abrupt rise. Alternatively, the place name itself may incorporate laes, a meadow, or a related form sceap-laes, suggesting a sheep meadow. These elements together provide a plausible explanation for the toponymic origin of the surname.
The earliest documentary evidence for a place called Sharples comes from the Lancashire Pipe Rolls of 1240, where it appears as Scharples, situated near the contemporary town of Bolton. The name was later recorded in the Assize Court rolls in 1246 under the form John de Scharples and again in the Subsidy Tax rolls of 1332 as Adam de Sharples. The spelling variations, including Sharpless, reflect the period's inconsistent orthography and the tendency toward phonetically influenced renderings.
In 1567 a coat of arms was granted to the Sharples of Sharples. The blazon describes a black shield charged with three silver crescents. This heraldic device has been interpreted as evidence that the family could trace its ancestry to Crusaders of the twelfth century who participated in the campaigns to liberate the Holy Land, although definitive documentary proof of this connection remains elusive.
Locational surnames such as Sharples served a dual purpose in medieval England. They could designate the lord of a manor or his descendants, thereby bestowing a status name upon the family. At the same time they functioned as a geographical identifier for individuals who moved away from their place of origin, allowing others to recognise them by their previous residence. The variation in spellings and the use of the place name in legal and tax documents exemplify this practice.
Throughout its history the Sharples name has remained predominantly within the English-speaking world, associated with a Christian faith and a heritage linked to the English countryside, especially the Lancashire region.
Typical given names associated with the Sharples surname
Male
- Andrew
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Paul
- Richard
- Robert
Female
- Catherine
- Christine
- Elizabeth
- Helen
- Jean
- Margaret
- Mary
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sarah
- Susan
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 Sharples in...
Braille
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Morse
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Semaphore
There are approximately 7,094 people named Sharples in the UK. That makes it roughly the 1,328th most common surname in Britain. Around 109 in a million people in Britain are named Sharples.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Sharples
- Richard Sharples - Politician (1916 to 1973)
- Charlie Sharples - Rugby union player
- Pamela Sharples, Baroness Sharples - Politician
- Robert Sharples - Composer (1913 to 1987)
- John Sharples - Football player
- Dick Sharples - Screenwriter (1921 to 2015)
- Ellen Sharples - Artist (1769 to 1849)
- George Sharples - Football player
- David Sharples - Clergy
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.