Re: meaning of last name Hanif
in reply to a message by Kira Hessler
It is a male given name. Salahuddin Ahmed "A Dictionary of Muslim Names", translates it as "true, one of the true faith, upright". It may have been the given name of an ancestor of your grandfather, but it may have been his father's name. Most Arabs didn't have proper surnames until well into the 20th century; some still get by just adding their father's name to their own.
Replies
Thank you !