Sherif, also spelled Sharif (and, in countries where Francophone Romanisation 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.

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).
 
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