Sharpe
A nickname surname for a sharp, keen, or keen-tempered person.
The #1,226 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 10,691 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Sharpe is the same surname as Sharp, with the final -e reflecting an older spelling. It comes from Middle English sharp, meaning “keen,” “pointed,” or figuratively “sharp-witted” or “acute,” and was first used as a nickname for someone with a keen mind or a brisk, lively manner. Lower explicitly explains the name in this way, and also notes a related German form Scharp.
History
The surname is well established in England and remains common in the English-speaking world. Historical records show it in medieval and later English forms, and the spelling Sharpe became standard alongside Sharp. The name has also been carried to Scotland, Ireland, North America, and other English-speaking regions through migration.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The spelling with final -e does not change the pronunciation; Sharpe and Sharp are spoken the same way.
From the historical record
“SHAROOD. See Sherwood. SHARPE. SHARP. From natural disposition — a keen, active, acute person. H.R. Scharp. SHARPLES. A township in Bolton, co. Lancaster, corrupted to Sharpless. SHARRATT. See Sherwood, and Sherard. SHARWOOD. See Sherwood.”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom