Family name العارف (العارف 
, Al-Aref 
) , in all the world, is quite a common surname. The last name العارف is habitual in Libya, where it is quite a rare surname, Egypt, and Syria. Very seldom, العارف is the forename as well as the last name.
| VARIANT | COUNTRY |
|---|---|
| العارف | Libya, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia |
| Al-Aref | Jordan, Germany, United States |
|
عارف العارف Palestinian journalist, historian and politician (1891-1973), PS (b. 1892) |
|
| إسماعيل العارف Iraqi diplomat, minister, politician and military officer, IQ (b. 1919) |
|