Explore the Family Name Scharf
The meaning of Scharf
South German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for an energetic, active person, from Middle High German scharf, scharpf and German scharf ‘sharp-cutting’. For Jews, it can also come from the Yiddish adjective sharf, with the same meaning. Compare Sarff, Sharf, and Sharp. Some characteristic forenames: German Otto, Erwin, Gerhardt, Kurt, Uwe, Frieda, Fritz, Grete, Helmuth, Horst, Juergen, Klaus.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Scharf in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Scharf saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Scharf was ranked as the 6,398th most common surname but dropped to 6,864th place in 2010, a fall of approximately 7.28 percent. The count of individuals with the Scharf surname also slightly fell from 4,904 in 2000 to 4,901 in 2010, constituting a decline of merely 0.06 percent. Moreover, the proportion of people having this surname per 100,000 decreased by 8.79 percent over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,398 | #6,864 | -7.28% |
| Count | 4,904 | 4,901 | -0.06% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.82 | 1.66 | -8.79% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Scharf
In terms of ethnic identity, the Scharf surname was primarily associated with White ethnicity in both 2000 and 2010, although there was a small decrease of 1.41 percent in 2010. According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, other ethnic identities also present include Asian/Pacific Islander, representing a 108.89 percent increase, Two or more races, showing a 45.56 percent growth, and Hispanic, with a modest rise of 9.16 percent. The Black demographic and American Indian and Alaskan Native groups were less represented but saw significant increases of 83.33 percent and 175.00 percent respectively between the two census years.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 97.04% | 95.67% | -1.41% |
| Hispanic | 1.31% | 1.43% | 9.16% |
| Two or More Races | 0.9% | 1.31% | 45.56% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.45% | 0.94% | 108.89% |
| Black | 0.18% | 0.33% | 83.33% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.12% | 0.33% | 175% |
Scharf ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Scharf is British & Irish, which comprises 31.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.5%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (24.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Spanish & Portuguese, Italian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 31.1% |
| French & German | 25.5% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 24.3% |
| Other | 19.1% |
Possible origins of the surname Scharf
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Scharf have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 67.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 67.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 67.30% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 67.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 67.30% |
What Scharf haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Scharf is R-P312, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-P312 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z645 and J-L26, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Sand, Appel, Neuman, Welter, Krieger, Holtz, Seiler, Seidel, Walther, Busch.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Scharf surname are: H1, N, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Scharf have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Scharf" Surname 33.3%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Scharf" Surname 28.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Scharf" Surname 23.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Scharf" Surname 8.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Scharf?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Scharf are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition