2000
#60,230
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 313
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Rare Last name
Shaik
A surname indicating an Arab leader or descendant of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,987 Americans carry the last name Shaik. That puts it at #9,021 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 85,968 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shaik surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Shaik with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 85,968
Census rank
#9,021
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,477 bearers of the surname Shaik in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9021st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaik, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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One notable historical reference to the name "SHAIK" can be found in the writings of the famous Arab philosopher and mathematician, Al-Khwarizmi (circa 780-850 AD), who is credited with laying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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shaik
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaik, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Shaik bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Shaik surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander93.8% · 3,260
- White2.9% · 100
- Two or more races1.4% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 28
- Black or African American0.7% · 24
- Hispanic or Latino0.5% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shaik
Shaik appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#23,957
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,053
+740 bearers (+236.4%)
Per 100,000 0.36
Rank movement Up 36,273 places
2020
#9,021
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,477
+2,424 bearers (+230.2%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Up 14,936 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #60,230 | 313 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #23,957 | 1,053 | 0.36 | +740 bearers (+236.4%) | Up 36,273 places |
| 2020 | #9,021 | 3,477 | 1.16 | +2,424 bearers (+230.2%) | Up 14,936 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Shaik surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #23,957 | #9,021 | 62.3% |
| Count | 1,053 | 3,477 | 230.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.36 | 1.16 | 223.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shaik bearers went from 1,053 to 3,477 (+230.2% change). The surname moved up 14,936 positions in the national ranking, going from #23,957 to #9,021.
FAQ
Shaik surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shaik?
Name Census estimates that about 3,987 living Americans carry the surname Shaik. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 85,968 residents.
How common is Shaik?
Shaik ranks #9,021 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,477 people with the surname Shaik. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,987), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Shaik.
Has Shaik become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shaik went from 1,053 recorded bearers to 3,477. That is an increase of 2,424 (+230.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #23,957 to #9,021.
What does the Census say about the background of Shaik?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shaik, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 93.8%. The next largest groups are White (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Shaik in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.8% (3,260 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shaik appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (93.8%), White (2.9%), Two or More Races (1.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Shaik (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Shaik mean?
A surname indicating an Arab leader or descendant of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Shaik (1.16 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Shaik?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.