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

• Sherif Abdel-Fadil (born 1983), Egyptian footballer
• Sherif Ahmeti (1920–1998), commentator and translator of the Quran into Albanian
• Sherif Alaa, 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, 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 (born 1956), Egyptian photographer
• Sherif Touré Coubageat (born 1983), former Togolese footballer

Surname

• 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