Fun Facts About the Name Shareef
- More than 1 thousand babies named Shareef: U.S. records list 1,196 babies given the name Shareef from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Shareef Mean?
Shareef is an alternate spelling of the Arabic name Sharīf (شريف), meaning "noble," "honorable," or "highborn." It comes from the Arabic root sh-r-f, which carries the sense of being elevated, exalted, or distinguished. The literal sense is an adjective of rank or character, not a symbolic trait. In Islamic tradition, sharīf also became a title for a person of noble lineage, especially a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad. The spelling Shareef represents the same Arabic name in a common English transliteration; it does not have a separate etymology.
Shareef Name History & Origins
The name goes back to the Arabic word sharīf, an old adjective and noun used in Arabic before and after the rise of Islam. In early Islamic history, the title sharīf was applied to descendants of the Prophet Muhammad, especially through his daughter Fatima and son-in-law Ali; in some regions the title was associated more specifically with the Hasanid line. From this usage came the office of Sharif of Mecca, held by Hashemite rulers who governed the holy city for centuries. The name and title spread with Arabic and Islamic influence into North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Shareef is an English transliteration of the same Arabic name; the spelling with ee reflects the long ī sound in sharīf. It is used as a given name in Arabic-speaking countries and by Muslims in South Asia, Africa, and other regions. In English-language use, Sharif and Shareef both appear, along with Sherif as another variant. The feminine form is sharīfah.
How Popular is the Name Shareef?
Shareef has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 1997. Its best rank was #1,588 in 1980.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,806 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #10,710 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2023 | #9,598 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #9,694 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #5,979 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2020 | #5,003 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2019 | #3,885 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2018 | #6,644 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #6,611 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2016 | #6,297 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2015 | #6,617 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #5,031 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2013 | #5,357 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2012 | #4,831 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2011 | #7,424 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2010 | #7,026 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2009 | #5,277 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #4,680 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 2007 | #3,776 | 28 | 0.0013% |
| 2006 | #3,980 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 2005 | #4,038 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2004 | #4,113 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2003 | #3,612 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2002 | #3,248 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 2001 | #2,853 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2000 | #2,249 | 44 | 0.0022% |
| 1999 | #2,853 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1998 | #2,308 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 1997 | #1,807 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 1996 | #1,927 | 47 | 0.0025% |
| 1995 | #2,617 | 29 | 0.0015% |
| 1994 | #2,748 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1993 | #2,767 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1992 | #4,294 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1991 | #2,901 | 23 | 0.0011% |
| 1990 | #2,615 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1989 | #3,187 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #3,191 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1987 | #2,323 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1986 | #2,590 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1985 | #1,963 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1984 | #2,690 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1983 | #2,399 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 1982 | #2,259 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 1981 | #1,897 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 1980 | #1,588 | 38 | 0.0021% |
| 1979 | #1,986 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1978 | #1,786 | 30 | 0.0018% |
| 1977 | #1,664 | 33 | 0.0020% |
| 1976 | #1,867 | 27 | 0.0017% |
| 1975 | #2,622 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1974 | #2,779 | 14 | 0.0009% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Shareef Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Shareef's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Shareef's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.