2000
#8,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,724
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.38
Rare Last name
Sheikh
An honorific title given to Islamic scholars, leaders, or elders, derived from the Arabic word for "elder" or "leader."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,613 Americans carry the last name Sheikh. That puts it at #4,109 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,655 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sheikh 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 Sheikh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.6K
1 in 35,655
Census rank
#4,109
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,383 bearers of the surname Sheikh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4109th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheikh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 71.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and White (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sheikh
The surname "SHEIKH" is of Arabic origin, and it is derived from the Arabic word "shaykh" which means "elder" or "chief." The name is believed to have originated in the Middle East, where it was traditionally used to refer to tribal leaders, religious scholars, or elders who held positions of authority and respect within their communities.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname "SHEIKH" can be traced back to the 7th century CE, during the early days of the Islamic era. The name is mentioned in various historical manuscripts and chronicles from that time period, often in reference to prominent Islamic scholars, poets, and religious figures.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname "SHEIKH" was Abu Bakr al-Shibli, a renowned Sufi mystic and scholar who lived in Baghdad during the 9th century CE (776-946 CE). Another notable figure was Sheikh Farid al-Din Attar, a celebrated Persian poet and theoretician of Sufism who lived in the 12th century CE (1145-1221 CE).
In the 13th century CE, the name gained further prominence with the rise of the Sheikh al-Islam, a prestigious title bestowed upon the highest-ranking religious authority in the Ottoman Empire. One of the most famous holders of this title was Sheikh al-Islam Ebussuud Efendi (1490-1574 CE), who served as the chief jurisconsult and played a significant role in the development of Ottoman legal and religious institutions.
Moving forward in history, the surname "SHEIKH" continued to be associated with influential religious, political, and intellectual figures. One notable example is Sheikh Ahmed Sirhindi (1564-1624 CE), a prominent Indian Islamic scholar and Sufi reformer who played a crucial role in the revival of Islamic mysticism in the Indian subcontinent.
Another prominent figure was Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920-1975 CE), the founding father of Bangladesh and the country's first Prime Minister, who led the struggle for independence from Pakistan in the 1971 Liberation War.
While the surname "SHEIKH" has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has since become widespread across various regions and communities, transcending its original religious and ethnic boundaries. Throughout history, individuals bearing this surname have made significant contributions in various fields, including religion, literature, politics, and social reform.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sheikh
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheikh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 71.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and White (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Sheikh 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 Sheikh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander71.7% · 6,008
- Black or African American14.5% · 1,218
- White7.1% · 597
- Two or more races4.8% · 402
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 153
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sheikh
Sheikh 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
#5,384
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,462
+2,738 bearers (+73.5%)
Per 100,000 2.19
Rank movement Up 2,816 places
2020
#4,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,383
+1,921 bearers (+29.7%)
Per 100,000 2.80
Rank movement Up 1,275 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,200 | 3,724 | 1.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,384 | 6,462 | 2.19 | +2,738 bearers (+73.5%) | Up 2,816 places |
| 2020 | #4,109 | 8,383 | 2.80 | +1,921 bearers (+29.7%) | Up 1,275 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 Sheikh 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 | #5,384 | #4,109 | 23.7% |
| Count | 6,462 | 8,383 | 29.7% |
| Per 100K | 2.19 | 2.80 | 28.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sheikh bearers went from 6,462 to 8,383 (+29.7% change). The surname moved up 1,275 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,384 to #4,109.
FAQ
Sheikh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sheikh?
Name Census estimates that about 9,613 living Americans carry the surname Sheikh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,655 residents.
How common is Sheikh?
Sheikh ranks #4,109 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,383 people with the surname Sheikh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,613), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Sheikh.
Has Sheikh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sheikh went from 6,462 recorded bearers to 8,383. That is an increase of 1,921 (+29.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,384 to #4,109.
What does the Census say about the background of Sheikh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sheikh, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 71.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and White (7.1%). 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 Sheikh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.7% (6,008 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sheikh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (71.7%), Black (14.5%), White (7.1%). 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 Sheikh (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 Sheikh mean?
An honorific title given to Islamic scholars, leaders, or elders, derived from the Arabic word for "elder" or "leader." 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 Sheikh (2.80 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 share the surname Sheikh?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.