Sharief is of Arabic origin, meaning 'noble' or 'high-ranking'. It is a unisex name, but it's more commonly used for males. The name gained popularity in the Western world due to its association with prominent figures like Sharif Khan Arghun, an Afghan prince and poet.
The name Sharief experienced fluctuations in popularity over the decades, with a significant peak in the mid-90s, particularly in 1994 with 13 births. Before and after this period, the number of births fluctuated between 5 to 8 per year, with brief spikes in 1977 (9 births), 1987 (12 births), and 1997 (14 births). Overall, there were a total of 187 babies named Sharief from 1970 to 2008.