NameCensus.

UK surname

Sherif

A surname derived from the Arabic word meaning a noble or ruler.

In the 1881 census there were 3 people recorded with the Sherif surname, ranking it #33,498 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 223, ranked #18,222, up from #33,498 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to No data. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Westminster, Barnsley and Havering.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Sherif is 223 in 2016. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 7333.3%.

1881 census count

3

Ranked #33,498

Modern count

223

2016, ranked #18,222

Peak year

2016

223 bearers

Map years

3

1998 to 2016

Key insights

  • Sherif had 3 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #33,498 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016, ranked #18,222.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 13 in 1851.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations.

Sherif surname distribution map

The map shows where the Sherif surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Sherif surname density by area, 2016 modern.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Sherif over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 13 #30,970
1861 historical 7 #33,053
1881 historical 3 #33,498
1891 historical 10 #33,355
1901 historical 2 #34,263
1911 historical 4 #33,595
1997 modern 97 #27,342
1998 modern 102 #27,314
1999 modern 108 #26,602
2000 modern 107 #26,700
2001 modern 108 #26,184
2002 modern 116 #25,632
2003 modern 112 #25,948
2004 modern 122 #24,812
2005 modern 130 #23,848
2006 modern 143 #22,619
2007 modern 157 #21,546
2008 modern 165 #21,056
2009 modern 170 #21,095
2010 modern 190 #20,087
2011 modern 188 #20,067
2012 modern 213 #18,422
2013 modern 217 #18,493
2014 modern 222 #18,355
2015 modern 219 #18,406
2016 modern 223 #18,222

Geography

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Where Sherifs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around No data. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Westminster, Barnsley, Havering and Ealing. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 No data No data

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Westminster 012 Westminster
2 Barnsley 023 Barnsley
3 Havering 002 Havering
4 Ealing 039 Ealing
5 Westminster 003 Westminster

Forenames

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First names often paired with Sherif

These lists show first names that appear often with the Sherif surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

No Forenames Found

Historical male names

No Forenames Found

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Sherif

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Sherif, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities

Group

Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations

Nationally, the Sherif surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Ethnically Diverse Families in Less Connected Locations, within Low-Skilled Migrant and Student Communities. This does not mean every Sherif household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group is often found in less central parts of London and other major towns and cities. Adults are more likely than the Supergroup average to have never been married and are typically aged less than 45 years. Many have young dependent children and individuals may have been born in Africa. There are many members identifying with a Black ethnic group, with the other ethnic groups (as listed in the glossary) also represented, though Chinese less so. Accommodation in flats, frequently socially rented, is common in these neighbourhoods. Part time employment is also common, and work is often in elementary occupations, while unemployment is also the highest within this Supergroup.

Wider pattern

Young adults, many of whom are students, predominate in these high-density and overcrowded neighbourhoods of rented terrace houses or flats. Most ethnic minorities are present in these communities, as are people born in European countries that are not part of the EU. Students aside, low skilled occupations predominate, and unemployment rates are above average. Overall, the mix of students and more sedentary households means that neighbourhood average numbers of children are not very high. The Mixed or Multiple ethnic group composition of neighbourhoods is often associated with low rates of affiliation to Christian religions. This Supergroup predominates in non-central urban locations the UK, particularly within England in the Midlands and the outskirts of west, south and north-east London.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Social Rented Sector Families with Children

Group

Social Rented Sector Pockets

Within London, Sherif is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Pockets, part of Social Rented Sector Families with Children. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Found in pockets across London, residents are less likely to live in private sector rentals and fewer adults are students. Fewer individuals work in transport and communications occupations relative to the Supergroup average. More individuals identify as Black and were born in Africa.

Wider London pattern

Residents of these neighbourhoods include sizable numbers identifying with ethnicities originating outside Europe, particularly in Africa or Bangladesh. The proportion of residents identifying as White, Indian or Pakistani is well below the London average. Neighbourhood age profiles are skewed towards younger adults, and above average numbers of families have children. Rates of use of English at home are below average. Marriage rates are low, and levels of separation or divorce are above average. Housing is predominantly in flats, and renting in the social rented sector the norm - few residents are owner occupiers. Housing is often overcrowded, and neighbourhoods are amongst the most densely populated in London. Disability rates are above average, although levels of unpaid care provision are about average. Employment is in caring, leisure, other service occupations, sales and customer service, or process, plant, and machine operation. Part time working and full-time student study are common. Levels of unemployment are slightly above average. Most residents have only Level 1 or 2 educational qualifications or have completed apprenticeships.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Sherif is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Sherif falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Sherif is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
Other Ethnic Group

This describes the area pattern most associated with Sherif, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Sherif

The surname SHERIF originated in the Middle East and North Africa, derived from the Arabic word "sharif" which means noble or highborn. It was a title bestowed upon descendants of the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima and her husband Ali.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname can be traced back to the 7th century AD, when members of the Hashemite clan, the direct descendants of the Prophet, began using the title as a distinguishing mark of their lineage. One of the earliest known figures with this surname was Al-Sherif Al-Radi, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in Baghdad during the 10th century (940-1016 AD).

As the Islamic empire expanded, the surname spread across various regions, including the Iberian Peninsula, where it was introduced during the Moorish rule in Spain. One notable figure from this period was Abu Al-Qasim Al-Sherif, a prominent mathematician and astronomer who lived in Cordoba in the 11th century (1020-1087 AD).

The surname also gained prominence in Egypt and the Levant, where several dynasties of Sherifs ruled over various territories. Among them was Al-Sherif Khair Bey, who governed Egypt in the 17th century (1637-1693 AD), and Al-Sherif Husayn ibn Ali, who led the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I (1853-1931 AD).

In the Maghreb region of North Africa, the surname was particularly prevalent among the ruling dynasties of Morocco, such as the Alaouite dynasty, which has ruled the country since the 17th century. One notable figure from this lineage was Sultan Muhammad III Al-Sherif, who reigned from 1673 to 1727.

As trade and migration patterns evolved, the surname also found its way to other parts of the world, including the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, where it was adopted by Muslim communities. One example is Tan Sri Dato' Seri Paduka Dr. Syed Othman Alhabshi, a Malaysian politician and academic who held various prominent positions in the 20th century (1918-2002).

While the surname SHERIF has its origins in the Middle East and North Africa, it has since spread across the globe, carried by individuals of diverse backgrounds and nationalities, all sharing a connection to the noble lineage of the Prophet Muhammad.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Sherif families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Sherif surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 1 Sherifs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.42x.

County Total Index
Middlesex 1 3.42x
Staffordshire 1 10.14x
Yorkshire 1 3.45x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Islington London in Middlesex leads with 1 Sherifs recorded in 1881 and an index of 35.34x.

Place Total Index
Islington London 1 35.34x
Wolverhampton 1 131.58x
York Holy Trinity 1 3333.33x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Sherif surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Sarah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Sherif surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Arthur 1
Joseph 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Sherif households.

FAQ

Sherif surname: questions and answers

How common was the Sherif surname in 1881?

In 1881, 3 people were recorded with the Sherif surname. That placed it at #33,498 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Sherif surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 223 in 2016. That gives Sherif a modern rank of #18,222.

What does the Sherif surname mean?

A surname derived from the Arabic word meaning a noble or ruler.

What does the Sherif map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Sherif bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.