The Scharf surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 4,901 people carried this name — #6,864 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 60,200 people counted. About the same as in 2000 (4,904).
What the name means
The meaning of the Scharf surname
South German and Jewish surname, from the adjective scharf (“sharp”) or its Yiddish equivalent שאַרף (sharf).
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary (en.wiktionary.org) — entry «Scharf» (English), by Wiktionary contributors · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0) · excerpt, lightly adapted.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
112 people named Scharf live in Switzerland.
They live in 10 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Aargau.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 110 people named Scharf.
35 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 10 départements, most often Moselle.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Poland’s population register
45 people named Scharf have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 106 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 6 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Silesian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 25 people named Scharf live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Antwerp.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 22 people named Scharf live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
50 people named Scharf is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
In print
Scharf in American newspapers,
1899–1918.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 72,328 pages in all carry the name.
Who carried it
People named Scharf,
with a public archive behind them.
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Anna Scharf d. 1662 · wife
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Johann Scharf 1595–1660 · theologian
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David Scharf 1624–1691 · pastor
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Johann Friedrich Scharf 1639–1710 · philologist
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Johann Friedrich Scharf 1639–1702 · philologist
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Benjamin Scharf 1651–1702 · town physician
Wikidata (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Scharf.
- Schamberger 569 · U.S. census
- Schaming 202 · U.S. census
- Schandel 155 · U.S. census
- Schanen 294 · U.S. census
- Schang 260 · U.S. census
- Schar 436 · U.S. census
- Scharff 1,895 · U.S. census
- Schartner 326 · U.S. census
- Schatt 148 · U.S. census
- Schatz 6,261 · U.S. census
- Schaub 6,027 · U.S. census
- Schauber 201 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Scharf is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.