Shaikhs in North India
Shaikh, also rendered as Sheikh, Sheik, Shaik, Shaykh, Shaikh, Shekh, Cheikh, Šeih, Šejh, Şeyh and other variants (Arabic: شيخ, shaykh; pl.It originally was a word or honorific term in the Arabic language that commonly designated a chief of a tribe, royal family member, Muslim religious scholar, or "Elder".However in Northern India, Shaikh was used as an ethnic title, by those with Arab descent & Upper caste coverts to Islam like Khatris, Brahmins & Rajputs etc, particularly from prominent Muslim figures such as the Rashidun Caliphs, majority of these.Many Shaikhs from North India are descended from Arabs, and adopted 'Shaikh' as their last name through marriage or their job.In Frontier Regions, Punjab of Pakistan, or Kashmir, the title shaikh was given to those who had descended from upper caste natives such as the Brahmins, Kayasthas and Rajputs.
AligarhArabichonorificArabic languagechief of a triberoyal familyreligious scholarNorthern IndiaKhatrisBrahminsRajputsMuslimRashidun CaliphsFrontier RegionsPunjabKashmirupper casteKayasthasShuja-ud-DaulaQidwaiHashmiBanu HashimBanu QuraishMuhammadSayyidSiddiquiAbu BakarKhalifaUsmaniUthman Ibn AffanFarooqiUmar Farooq Bin Al-KhattabAli Ibn Abi TalibAbbasiAbbas ibn abd-MuttalibProphet MuhammadUmar Sheikh MirzaMughalSheikhShaikhzadaSindhi ShaikhPunjabi ShaikhMuslim KayasthsKashmiri ShaikhsGujarati ShaikhRajasthani ShaikhShaikh of Uttar PradeshIndian MuslimArghonAnsariBaghbanBhishtiBisatiChhipaChaushDeccani MuslimsHyderabadiGurjarIraqi BiradariKhanzadaKashmiriKunjraMalkanaManiharMappilaRowtherPathanPurigpaQassabMuslim RajputsRangrezShaikhSalmaniUrdu-speakingAssameseBengaliGujaratiKonkaniNawayathMarathiMarwariMeiteiPunjabiTeluguLabbayGoan MuslimsAlavi BohrasBihariChamailChuriharIdrisiKulhaiyaLal BegiMalik of BiharMirasiMirshikarMuslim ChhipiRayeenSaperaSyed (Mallick)ShershahabadiaThakuraiGujaratAttarwalaBalochBanjaraBehlimBhadalaBharbhunjaChunaraChundrigarDawoodi BohraDhuldhoyaDoodwalaGaliaraGhanchiGhanchi-PinjaraHalaypotraHingorjaHingoraJunejaKhaskheliMachiyarMakraniMandaliMakwana