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Scharf Family History

Scharf Surname Meaning

South German and Jewish (Ashkenazic): nickname for an energetic active person from Middle High German scharf scharpf and German scharf ‘sharp-cutting’.

For Jews it can also come from the Yiddish adjective sharf with the same meaning.

Compare Sarff Sharf and Sharp.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

Where is the Scharf family from?

You can see how Scharf families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Scharf family name was found in the USA, the UK, and Canada between 1840 and 1920. The most Scharf families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 9 Scharf families living in London. This was 100% of all the recorded Scharf's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Scharf families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Scharf surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Scharf ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, Unpaid Domestic Duties was the top reported job for people in the United Kingdom named Scharf. 72% of Scharf women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties.

View Census Data for Scharf | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Domestic Duties
    29%

What Scharf family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 24,000 census records available for the last name Scharf. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Scharf census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Scharf

Passenger Lists

There are 27,000 immigration records available for the last name Scharf. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Scharf immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 12,000 military records available for the last name Scharf. For the veterans among your Scharf ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Scharf military records

You've only scratched the surface of Scharf family history

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What is the average Scharf lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Scharf life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1945, and highest in 2002. The average life expectancy for Scharf in 1942 was 46, and 73 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Scharf

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Scharf ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Scharf family tree

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