Shareef
An Arabic name meaning noble, honorable, righteous.
Name Census estimates that about 1,154 living Americans carry the first name Shareef. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shareef today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shareef births was 1997 (53 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shareef. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 297,014 Americans
Peak year
1997
53 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,710
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Shareef: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shareef from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 314 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shareef by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Shareef during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shareefs live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Shareef, while California, Pennsylvania, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 85 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shareef
The given name Shareef originates from the Arabic language and culture, with its roots tracing back to the 7th century AD during the rise of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. The word "Shareef" itself is derived from the Arabic term "Sharif," which means noble, distinguished, or honorable.
In the early days of Islam, the title "Sharif" was bestowed upon those who were direct descendants of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and her husband Ali ibn Abi Talib. The Prophet's family members were considered the most noble and respected individuals in the Islamic community, and the name Shareef became a symbol of this exalted status.
The name Shareef can be found in various historical texts and Islamic scriptures, including the Quran and Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad). One notable early example is Shareef Ali ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad, who played a crucial role in the early spread of Islam and is revered by both Sunni and Shia Muslims.
Throughout history, several prominent figures bore the name Shareef, including Shareef Idrissi (1782-1837), a Moroccan explorer and diplomat who traveled extensively in Africa and wrote about his journeys. Shareef Ali Khan (1822-1881) was a renowned Indian mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
In the realm of literature, Shareef Qamar (1924-1983) was a celebrated Urdu poet and writer from Pakistan, known for his profound and thought-provoking poetry. Shareef Husayn (1858-1932), an Egyptian scholar and writer, played a pivotal role in the Arab Renaissance (Nahda) movement, advocating for cultural and literary revitalization in the Arab world.
Another notable figure was Shareef Abdur Rahman (1891-1959), a prominent Indian Muslim leader and statesman who served as the first Prime Minister of the Dominion of Pakistan after the country's independence in 1947.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the honorable name Shareef, reflecting its deep-rooted cultural and religious significance within the Arabic and Islamic traditions.
People
Shareef + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shareef as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shareef: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shareef?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,154 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shareef going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 297,014 US residents.
Is Shareef a common name?
We classify Shareef as "Rare". It ranks above 91% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,187 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shareef most popular?
The single biggest year for Shareef was 1997, when 53 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shareef is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shareef a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shareef in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.