Sherif, also spelled Sharif (and, in countries where Francophone Romanization is the norm, Cherif or Charif), is a proper name derived from the Arabic word sharīf (شريف, 'noble', 'highborn', 'honorable'), originally a title designating a person descended from the family of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. More broadly, the title sharīf was historically applied to anyone of noble ancestry or political preeminence in Islamic countries.[1]
The name has no etymological connection with the English term sheriff, which comes from the Old English word scīrgerefa, meaning "shire-reeve", the local reeve (enforcement agent) of the king in the shire (county).[2]
Given name
edit- Sherif Abdel-Fadil (born 1983), Egyptian footballer
- Sherif Ahmeti (1920–1998), commentator and translator of the Quran into Albanian
- Sherif Alaa (born 1992), Egyptian footballer
- Sherif Arafa (born 1960), Egyptian director, writer and producer
- Sherif Ashraf (born 1987), Egyptian footballer
- Sherif Boubaghla (1820–1854), Algerian military resistance leader who led a struggle against the French colonial invasion
- Sherif Dabo (born 1994), Egyptian footballer
- Sherif Desoky (born 1967), Egyptian actor, director, author, and storyteller
- Sherif Ekramy (born 1983), Egyptian goalkeeper
- Sherif El Bendary (born 1978), Egyptian film director, writer and producer
- Sherif El-Digwy (born 1965), Egyptian judoka.
- Sherif El-Erian (born 1970), Egyptian modern pentathlete
- Sherif El-Khashab (born 1961), Egyptian football manager
- Sherif El-Masri (born 1990), Canadian footballer
- Sherif El-Saket (born 1970), Egyptian table tennis player.
- Sherif El Shemerly, Egyptian volleyball coach
- Sherif Farrag (born 1987), Egyptian-American fencer
- Sherif Fawaz Sharaf (born 1938), retired Jordanian administrator and ambassador
- Sherif Fawzy (born 1990), Egyptian footballer
- Sherif Fouad Aboulkheir (1947–2021), Egyptian basketball player
- Sherif Gaber (born c. 1993), Egyptian political activist and blogger who was arrested for atheist activism
- Sherif Genedy (born 1979), Egyptian basketball player
- Sherif Ismail (1955–2023), Egyptian engineer who served as Prime Minister of Egypt between 2015 and 2018
- Sherif Jimoh (born 1996), Ivorian footballer
- Sherif Kallaku (born 1998), Albanian footballer
- Sherif Khalil (born 1982), Egyptian water polo player
- Sherif Langu (1877–1956), Albanian politician and one of the founding fathers of Albania
- Sherif Medhat (born 1988), Egyptian footballer
- Sherif Mohie El Din (born 1964), Egyptian conductor and composer
- Sherif Moemen (born 1974), Egyptian handball player
- Sherif Mounir (born 1959), Egyptian actor
- Sherif Othman (born 1982), Egyptian Paralympic powerlifter
- Sherif Sabri Pasha (born 1895), Egyptian politician
- Sherif Sabry (born 1986), Egyptian tennis player
- Sherif Sadiku (born 1998), Albanian footballer
- Sherif Salama (born 1979), Egyptian actor
- Sherif Saleh (born 1954), Egyptian sports shooter
- Sherif Sonbol (1956-2023), Egyptian photographer
- Sherif Touré Coubageat (born 1983), former Togolese footballer
Surname
edit- Abdusalam Al-Sherif (born 1989), Saudi footballer
- Ahmed Sherif (born 2003), Egyptian footballer
- Ali Pasha Sherif (1834–1897), Egyptian government official and breeder of Arabian horses
- Amro Sherif (born 1991), Egyptian basketball player
- Basem Al-Sherif (born 1984), Saudi footballer
- Carolyn Sherif (1922–1982), American social psychologist, helped to develop social judgment theory
- Feroz Sherif (born 1971), former Indian footballer and coach
- Hassan Sherif (born 1952), Ethiopian boxer
- Hoza'a Sherif (c. 1961–2015), Lebanese diplomat
- Hussein Sherif, Egyptian taekwondo practitioner
- Ihab el-Sherif (1954–2005), Egyptian ambassador to Iraq, killed by Iraqi kidnappers in July 2005
- K. S. G. Haja Shareef, Indian politician
- Lamine Kaba Sherif (born 1999), Guinean footballer
- Manal al-Sharif (born 1979), Saudi women's right's activist
- Manar al-Sharif, Syrian peace activist
- Mayar Sherif (born 1996), Egyptian tennis player
- Mohammed Ismail Sherif (born 2002), known as Black Sherif, Ghanaian musician and performer
- Mohamed Saad El Din Sherif (died 1997), Egyptian general and Chairman of the Arab Scout Parliamentary Union
- Mohamed Sherif (disambiguation), several people
- Mohamed Sherif Mohamed Ragaei Bakr (born 1996), Egyptian footballer
- Muzafer Sherif (1906–1988), Turkish-American psychologist, one of the founders of social psychology
- Nahed Sherif (1942–1981), Egyptian actress
- Nour El-Sherif (1946–2015), Egyptian actor
- Rana Sherif Ahmed (born 1994), Egyptian tennis player
- Safwat El-Sherif (1933–2021), Egyptian politician
- Seif Asser Sherif (born 1995), Egyptian trampolinist
- Sultan Al-Sherif (born 1991), Saudi footballer
- Uche Sherif (born 1983), Nigerian footballer
- Vamba Sherif (born 1973), Liberian-born writer
- Youssef El Sherif (born 1978), Egyptian actor
See also
edit- Muhammed Sharif (disambiguation), a list of people specifically called Muhammed Sharif, Mohamed Sherif, etc.
- Şerif, the name Sherif in Turkish
- Shareef (given name)
- Shareef (surname)
References
edit- ^ Van Arendonk, C.; Graham, W.A. (1960–2007). "Sharīf". In Bearman, P. J.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C. E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W. P. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition.
- ^ "Online Etymology Dictionary". www.etymonline.com.