Explore the Family Name Sharif
The meaning of Sharif
Muslim: from a personal name based on Arabic sharīf ‘noble, honorable, highborn’. Sharīf is used as an honorific title for descendants of the prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fāṭima. See also Ashraf, compare Alsharif, Cherif, and Sherif. Some characteristic forenames: Arabic/Muslim Mohammad, Mohammed, Muhammad, Omar, Sami, Hassan, Ali, Mohamed, Abdul, Ahmad, Ahmed, Rahman.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Sharif in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Sharif has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Sharif was ranked as the 11,595th most common surname, but by 2010, it had risen to the 8,493rd position—a substantial increase of approximately 26.75%. The actual count of individuals with the surname also increased from 2,484 to 3,879 during the same period, indicating a growth rate of about 56.16%. The proportion of people with the surname Sharif per 100,000 inhabitants also rose from 0.92 in 2000 to 1.32 in 2010, marking an increase of 43.48%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,595 | #8,493 | 26.75% |
| Count | 2,484 | 3,879 | 56.16% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.92 | 1.32 | 43.48% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Sharif
In terms of ethnic identity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals that there have been some shifts among those with the surname Sharif between 2000 and 2010. The largest group identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander remained relatively stable, shifting slightly from 25.89% to 25.96%. The percentage of individuals identifying their ethnicity as White also saw a slight increase from 25.08% to 25.52%. However, there were significant changes among other groups. Those identifying as Black made up 30.03% of the Sharifs in 2000, but this figure jumped to 39.16% in 2010—an increase of 30.40%. Conversely, the proportion of Sharifs who identified as two or more races decreased from 15.86% in 2000 to 6.86% in 2010—a drop of 56.75%. There were also smaller proportions of Sharifs identifying as Hispanic (2.90% to 2.35%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native (0.24% to 0.15%).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 30.03% | 39.16% | 30.4% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 25.89% | 25.96% | 0.27% |
| White | 25.08% | 25.52% | 1.75% |
| Two or More Races | 15.86% | 6.86% | -56.75% |
| Hispanic | 2.9% | 2.35% | -18.97% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.24% | 0.15% | -37.5% |
Sharif 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 Sharif is Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian, which comprises 21.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Northern Indian & Pakistani (17.6%) and British & Irish (8.0%). Additional ancestries include Levantine, Somali, Peninsular Arab, Nigerian, and Egyptian.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Iranian, Caucasian & Mesopotamian | 21.0% |
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 17.6% |
| British & Irish | 8.0% |
| Other | 53.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Sharif
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 Sharif have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and Iran.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 17.10% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 17.10% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 17.10% |
| Tehran Province, Iran | 15.90% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 15.90% |
What Sharif 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 Sharif is E-P179, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-P179 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include J-CTS5368 and R-L23, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Hussein, Ismail, Habib, Aziz, Mansour, Said, Khoury, Ibrahim, Rinaldi, Abbas.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Sharif surname are: M, U2_3_4_7_8_9, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96Your 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 Sharif 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.
"Sharif" Surname 38.9%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Cheek Dimples
Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.
"Sharif" Surname 37.5%
23andMe Users 37.6%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Sharif" Surname 22.7%
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.
"Sharif" Surname 9.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Sharif?
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 Sharif are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition