Sharif
A surname adopted from an Arabic honorific meaning “noble” or “distinguished.”
The #8,493 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 79,594 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Sharif comes from Arabic sharīf, a word meaning “noble,” “honorable,” or “distinguished.” In many Muslim societies it was used as an honorific title, especially for someone regarded as of noble descent or respected standing. As a surname, it often developed from that title rather than from a family name in the older European sense.
History
The word has long been used across the Arabic-speaking world and also entered Persian, Urdu, and other languages of the Islamic cultural sphere. As a hereditary surname, it is common among families from South Asia, the Middle East, and North and East Africa, and it is often spelled in several different ways in Latin script. In some contexts it can also reflect family claims of descent from the Prophet Muhammad through his grandson Husayn, though the surname alone does not prove such ancestry.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The related title sharif was historically used in parts of the Islamic world for a person of high rank or noble lineage, which is why the surname can carry a strong prestige association.