Ashraf (name)

'Ashraf ' (Arabic: أشرف) is an Arabic name meaning 'most honorable one' or 'very noble'. It is used by many Arabs and non-Arabs regardless of their religious affiliation, both Christians and Muslims alike. In French-speaking contexts the transliteration is Achraf. The name is not to be confused with the word ashrāf (أشراف, with a long second ā) which is the plural of the word sharīf, denoting the descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Although both words share the same root, ashrāf (lit. 'nobles' or 'highborns') is not normally used as a proper name. Its singular sharīf (also 'Shareef', 'Sherif', etc.), on the other hand, is used as a proper name.