Shaik last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Shaik is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shaik.

Meaning of Shaik

A surname indicating an Arab leader or descendant of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.

Shaik, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shaik surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shaik in America

Shaik is the 23957th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shaik surname appeared 1,053 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Shaik.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shaik to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 23957 60230 -86.17%
Count 1,053 313 108.35%
Proportion per 100k 0.36 0.12 100.00%

The history of the last name Shaik

The surname "SHAIK" is believed to have its origins in the Arab world, specifically in regions like the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. It is derived from the Arabic word "shaikh," which translates to "elder" or "leader." This name was often given to respected individuals or heads of tribes or clans in Islamic societies.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname "SHAIK" can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the time of the Islamic conquests and the spread of Arab culture across the Middle East and parts of Europe. Some of the earliest known bearers of this name were Arab scholars, poets, and religious figures who held positions of authority within their communities.

One notable historical reference to the name "SHAIK" can be found in the writings of the famous Arab philosopher and mathematician, Al-Khwarizmi (circa 780-850 AD), who is credited with laying the foundations of modern algebra. His full name was Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, and the surname "al-Khwarizmi" is believed to be derived from the word "Khwarizm," which was the name of a region in present-day Uzbekistan.

In the 11th century, during the time of the Seljuk Empire, the name "SHAIK" became more prominent, particularly among the ruling elite and military leaders. One famous bearer of this name was Shaikh Nizam al-Mulk (1018-1092 AD), who served as the vizier (prime minister) of the Seljuk Empire under the sultans Alp Arslan and Malik Shah.

Another notable figure with the surname "SHAIK" was the 13th-century Persian poet and mystic, Shaikh Saadi (1210-1291 AD), who is widely regarded as one of the greatest literary figures in Persian literature. His works, such as the "Gulistan" and "Bustan," are celebrated for their wisdom, wit, and profound insights into human nature.

In the Indian subcontinent, the surname "SHAIK" gained prominence during the medieval period, particularly among Muslim communities. One of the earliest recorded instances of this name in India can be found in the 14th-century chronicles of the Delhi Sultanate, where a ruler named Shaikh Firuz Shah Tughlaq (1309-1388 AD) is mentioned.

Over the centuries, the surname "SHAIK" has been associated with many influential figures across various fields, including religion, literature, politics, and academia. Some notable examples include Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi (1564-1624 AD), a prominent Sufi scholar and reformer; Shaikh Mujibur Rahman (1920-1975 AD), the founding father of Bangladesh; and Shaikh Ayaz (1923-1997 AD), a celebrated Urdu poet and writer.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shaik

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shaik.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shaik was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 2.09% 22
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.04% 11
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 93.73% 987
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.66% 7
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.14% 12
Hispanic Origin 1.33% 14

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shaik has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 2.09% 10.22% -132.09%
Black 1.04% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander 93.73% 77.00% 19.60%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.66% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.14% 8.63% -153.33%
Hispanic 1.33% 2.56% -63.24%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shaik was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shaik, please contact us.

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"Shaik last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 5, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/shaik-surname-popularity/.

"Shaik last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/shaik-surname-popularity/. Accessed 5 October, 2024

Shaik last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/shaik-surname-popularity/.

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