Scharf History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Germany

The ancestral home of the Scharf family is in the German province of Bavaria. Scharf is a German nickname surname. Such names came from eke-names, or added names, that described their initial bearer through reference to a physical characteristic or other attribute. It is a name for a sharp or quick witted person. The name stems from the German word "scharf," meaning "sharp."

Early Origins of the Scharf family

The surname Scharf was first found in Bavaria, where the name was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area. They declared allegiances to many nobles and princes of early history, lending their influence in struggles for power and status within the region. Chronicles first mention Sigehard Scharf of Bavaria in 1060, and Hainrich Scharpf of Wuerttemberg in 1330. Later the various families branched into many houses, and their contributions were sought by many leaders in their search for power.

Early History of the Scharf family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Scharf research. Another 141 words (10 lines of text) covering the years 1537, 1769, 1792, 1813 and 1851 are included under the topic Early Scharf History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Scharf Spelling Variations

One can encounter great variation in the spelling of surnames: in early times, spelling in general, and thus the spelling of names was not yet standardized; and later, spellings would change with branching and movement of families. Variations of the name Scharf include Scharff, Scharfe, Scharfer, Scharf and others.

Early Notables of the Scharf family

Prominent among members of the name Scharf in this period include

the knight Johann Nepomuk Edler von Scharff, who was Lord of Oslawan, Hoednitz and Muehlfrauen in Maehren...

Scharf Ranking

In the United States, the name Scharf is the 7,647^th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1

Scharf migration to the United States +

Thousands of German settlers came to North America between the mid-17th and mid-20th centuries. The hardships of the long voyage were balanced by the opportunity to escape poverty and religious persecution. The descendents of these settlers still populate the states of Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Illinois, and California. Many also live in Ontario and the prairie provinces of Canada. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families has revealed a number of immigrants bearing the name Scharf or a variant listed above:

Scharf Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Antonius Scharf, who settled in New York State in 1710
Johannes Scharf, who settled in Philadelphia in 1747
Friedrich Scharf, who landed in New York, NY in 1782 2
Herman Scharf, who landed in New York, NY in 1782 2

Scharf Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Charles Scharf, who landed in New York in 1834 2
George Scharf, who arrived in Allegany County in 1844
George Scharf, who arrived in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1844 2
Joseph Scharf, aged 20, who arrived in America in 1853 2
Gottfr Scharf, aged 29, who landed in New York in 1854 2
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Scharf (post 1700) +

William Scharf (1927-2018), American artist from New York City
Walter Scharf (1910-2003), American film composer
Raymond B. Scharf, American Democratic Party politician, Alternate Delegate to Democratic National Convention from California, 1960 3
Irving A. Scharf, American Republican politician, Candidate for New York State Senate 37th District, 2002 3
Irene Meyer Scharf, American politician, Candidate for Texas State Board of Education 5th District, 2002, 2012 3
Ed Scharf, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Texas 23rd District, 2002, 2010, 2012 3
Darren Scharf, American politician, Candidate for Texas State House of Representatives 51st District, 2002 3
Albert Scharf, American politician, Member of South Dakota State House of Representatives 35th District, 1891-92 3
Kurt Franz Wilhelm Scharf (1902-1990), German ecclesiastic who was several times arrested and forbidden to preach during the Nazi regime. In 1966 he became Bishop of Berlin-Brandenburg and vice-president of the World Bible Society
George Scharf (1788-1860), Bavarian draughtsman and lithographer, born at Mainburg, Bavaria
... (Another 3 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Citations +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 12) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html