Sfeir (Arabic: صفير) is a Maronite Christian clan surname from Lebanon, which appears with the highest density in the mountainous Keserwan District. As a result of the Lebanese diaspora, the name has flourished in North and South America, Western Europe, Australia, the Arabian peninsula, and west Africa.

Although the exact origin of the name "Sfeir" remains debated, various scholarly hypotheses exist. Here are some possible connections between the surname Sfeir and Semitic roots related to similar-sounding words in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Syriac:

• Aramaic: Tsipparā (צִפַּרָא) – meaning "bird," shares the root Ṣ-P-R, which is phonetically close to "Sfeir."
• Hebrew: Tzippor (צִפּוֹר) – "bird," also shares the root Ṣ-P-R.
• Syriac: Ṣaprā (ܨܦܪܐ) – meaning "morning" or "dawn," is another possible link.
• Syriac: Ṣappīrā (ܨܦܝܪܐ) – meaning "whistle."
• Syriac/Aramaic: The term ܣܦܝܪܐ (Sapirā) might mean something like "envoy" or "messenger" in older contexts.

While these words resemble "Sfeir," no confirmed historical connection exists; the resemblance could be symbolic or coincidental based on shared Semitic phonetics.

Many Sfeir trace the origin of the family name to the Levantine word aSfar (Sfeyr could mean yellow-ish, yellow or sulphur), possibly referencing yellow tunics or banners, from the time of the Crusades. Indeed, the flag of the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem consisted of a grid work of yellow or gold crosses on a white background.

Others suggest As-Safir (ambassador), reflecting a role as mediators.

Additionally, a Hebrew connection to Sapir (sapphire) could indicate historical gem traders.

Phonetically, the name may relate to the Aramaic Tsipparā (bird) or Syriac Ṣaprā(morning), reflecting shared roots across Semitic languages. Each theory highlights potential cultural and linguistic intersections. A few state that it may derive from the Syriac noun for whistling or singing, perhaps suggesting that the Sfeir may have been either archers or falconers (during the Crusades, the prelate and chronicler William of Tyre reported that the Maronites were well known for their prowess in archery).^[1]

In any case, the clan legend is that a Crusader King, most likely Godfrey of Bouillon, granted to the Sfeir clan a portion of what is today the Keserwan District of Mount Lebanon, which was the northern frontier of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, as a reward for their loyalty to his reign and bravery in battle. In the village of Kleiat, there is a convent, founded in the 17th century by chevalier Nader Sfeir, called the Convent of the Sfeir (Couvent des Sfeir).^[2] To this day, the motto of Keserwan is "the Christians' Castle."

Many members of the Sfeir clan have French given names, reflecting the Maronite community's historical and cultural links to France that date back more than 900 years.^[3] Members of the Sfeir clan have achieved prominence as clergymen ^[4] and women, scholars, artists, diplomats, businessmen and women, scientists, medical doctors, lawyers, civil engineers and architects, and other professions and trades.^[5] People with the Sfeir surname (occasionally spelled Sfair in Latin script) include the following:

• Pietro Sfair (1888-1974), Archbishop of the Maronite Catholic Church and Council Father at the Second Vatican Council
• Abdallah Sfeir ( ), Lebanese civil engineer and academic, founding dean of engineering at Lebanese American University^[6]
• Agnel Sfeir ( ), Lebanese-American microbiologist, academic researcher, expert on mitochondrial DNA and telomeres^[7]
• Alejandro Sfeir Tonsic (born ), Chilean diplomat, ambassador to Panama, grandson of Dr. Alberto Sfeir (first Chilean ambassador to Lebanon)^[8]
• Alfredo Sfeir (born 1947), Chilean economist, spiritual leader and healer
• Amanda Sfeir ( ), Lebanese-French chemical engineer and materials scientist, winner of Societe Chimique de France prize for best Phd Thesis 2023^[9]
• Amine Sfeir (1931-2002), Lebanese fine arts painter, philanthropist, winner of Said Akl Prize ^[10]
• Andree Sfeir-Semler (born 1953), Lebanese-German art historian and gallery owner
• Antoine Sfeir (1948–2018), Franco-Lebanese journalist and professor
• Boudi Sfeir (born ), Lebanese screen writer and film director^[11]
• Claude Sfeir (born 1962), Lebanese jeweler, collector of fine wrist watches, and member of jury of Grand Prix de Horologie of Geneva^[12]
• Dahd Sfeir (1932–2015), Uruguayan actress, winner of Helen Hayes Prize
• Denise Sfeir (born 1960), Miss Lebanon 1980^[13]
• Diane Sfeir Fadel ( ), business executive and social philanthropist, co-founder of ABC (Lebanon) department stores, founder of Foundation Diana^[14]
• Emilio Sfeir (1898-1970), Lebanese-Bolivian entrepreneur and hero of Bolivian counter-intelligence during the Chaco War against Paraguay^{[15][16] [17]}
• Emily Georgette Sfeir (born 1988), American graduate of West Point Military Academy '09, officer US Army and Afghan War veteran^[18]
• Jacqueline Sfeir (1956–2013), Palestinian educator and academic
• Isabelle Hernu-Sfeir (born 1976), French-Swiss employee benefits & retirement executive, CEO of consulting firm^[19]
• Maroun Sfeir ( ), Lebanese medical doctor and surgeon, president of Lebanese Society of General Surgery^[20]
• Matthew Sfeir ( ), American experimental physicist, researches quantum properties of conducting organic polymers using far-infrared and terahertz light sources^[21]
• Mauricio González Sfeir (born 1956), Bolivian minister of energy, petroleum company executive and football soccer promoter
• Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir (1920–2019), Cardinal and Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church
• Nelly Sfeir Gonzalez (1930-2020), American academic librarian, award-winning bibliographer and journal editor
• Paul Sfeir (1965), Chilean engineer, radio journalist, politician (Constitutional council)
• Raymond Sfeir ( ), American academic economist, director of the Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research at Chapman University in California^[22]
• Salim Sfeir (born 1944), Lebanese – Swiss banker & philanthropist, chairman of the Association of Banks in Lebanon
• Samir Sfeir ( ), Lebanese composer and pop singer^[23]
• Selim Jean Sfeir [it] (1958), Maronite Archbishop of Cyprus
• Valeria Sffeir [pt] (1953-2010), Brazilian television journalist and foreign correspondent

Within the Metn District near the city of Beirut, in the municipality of Sin el Fil, Horsh Tabet neighborhood, there is a street called Rue Georges Salim Sfeir.

In the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, in the municipality of Indaiatuba, there is a neighborhood called "Vila Sfeir."

Sfeir Architects, located in San Diego, California, is an architectural firm focusing on designing hospitals.

SFEIR Group is a French digital strategy and technological consulting firm founded in 1989 with headquarters in Paris and offices in Luxembourg, Lille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Nantes, and Brusselles.

Sfeir Industries West Africa (SIWA) is a manufacturer of industrial kitchen and laundry equipment with headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria.

Sfeir Trading, based in Dubai, UAE, is a trading firm specializing in petroleum industry equipment and aviation industry inputs.

• The Encyclopedia of Maronite Families. Louaize, Lebanon: Notre Dame University. 2018. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
• The Maronite Encyclopedia. Kaslik, Lebanon: Holy Spirit University. 1992. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
• Fahd, Butros (1974). Arciescovo Pietro Sfair grande orientalista e predicatore, vita e opere [Archbishop Pietro Sfair great orientalist and preacher, life and work] (in Italian). Rome: Matabi al-Karim al-Hadithath.
• Antoine Khoury Harb, The Maronites: History and Constants (ASIN B000B0F6NU)
• Matti Moosa, The Maronites in History (ISBN 1-59333-182-7)
• Richard Van Leeuwen, Notables and Clergy in Mount Lebanon: The Khāzin Sheikhs and the Maronite Church (1736-1840) (ISBN 90-04-09978-6)
• Farid el-Khazen, The Breakdown of the State in Lebanon, 1967-1976 (ISBN 0-674-08105-6)
• William Harris, Lebanon: A History, 600-2011 (ISBN 978-0-19-518111-1)
• Salibi, Kamal S. (1959). Maronite Historians of Medieval Lebanon. Beirut: American University of Beirut.
• Salibi, Kamal (June 1967). "Northern Lebanon under the Dominance of Ġazīr (1517–1591)". Arabica. 14 (2): 144–166. doi:10.1163/157005867X00029. JSTOR 4055631.
• Salibi, Kamal S. (1988). A House of Many Mansions: The History of Lebanon Reconsidered. University of California Press. ISBN 9780520071964.
• Catholic-Hierarchy

Surname list

This page lists people with the surname Sfeir.
If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding the person's given name(s) to the link.