Find out how popular the last name Shareef is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shareef.

Shareef, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shareef surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shareef in America

Shareef is the 22978th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shareef surname appeared 1,113 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Shareef.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shareef to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shareef

The surname "SHAREEF" originates from the Arabic language and is derived from the word "sharif," which means "noble" or "distinguished." This surname has its roots in the Middle East, particularly in the Arab world, and can be traced back to the 7th century CE during the early Islamic period.

The name "SHAREEF" is closely associated with the Hashemite clan, which was the clan of the Prophet Muhammad. Members of this clan were considered nobles and were entitled to use the title "Sharif." Over time, the title became a surname for their descendants and those associated with them.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "SHAREEF" can be found in the writings of medieval Arab scholars and historians. For example, the 9th-century historian Ibn Ishaq mentioned several individuals with the surname "SHAREEF" in his work, "The Life of Muhammad."

In the Middle Ages, the name "SHAREEF" gained prominence in various parts of the Arab world, particularly in regions like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the Levant. It was often associated with influential families and individuals who held positions of power and authority.

Among the notable historical figures with the surname "SHAREEF" are:

1. Idris I (788-791 CE), the founder of the Idrisid dynasty in Morocco and considered a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammad.
2. Al-Sharif al-Radi (969-1016 CE), a renowned Arab poet and scholar from Baghdad who was known for his contributions to Arabic literature.
3. Sharif al-Din Ibn al-Muqri (1237-1304 CE), a prominent Arab mathematician and astronomer from Damascus.
4. Sharif al-Husayni (1856-1949), a prominent Palestinian Arab nationalist and leader during the British Mandate period in Palestine.
5. Sharif Hussein bin Ali (1854-1931), the Sharif of Mecca and a key figure in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

It is worth noting that the surname "SHAREEF" has also been associated with various place names throughout history. For instance, the city of Sharifa in modern-day Yemen derived its name from the presence of noble families or "SHAREEFS" in the area.

The surname "SHAREEF" has a rich historical legacy and is deeply rooted in the cultural and religious traditions of the Arab world. Its meaning and association with nobility and lineage have endured over centuries, making it a significant and respected surname within the region and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shareef

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shareef.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shareef was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shareef has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shareef was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shareef, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!