Cheikh
How to say it: SHAYK · /ˈʃejk/
French spelling of Arabic sheikh meaning 'elder, chief, scholar' - prestigious title-name in West Africa.
Cheikh was the 3,315th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 20 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up about 67% in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #3,129 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #3,315 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 20 |
| Share of births | 1 in 132,613 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | +67% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #3,129 |
| In France, 2025 | #328 among boys’ names, 80 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Cheikh is a newcomer: almost all of its history is from the last forty years.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Cheikh is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in Arabic, English, French.
In France: #328 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Cheikh
- Cheikh M'Bengue (born 1988)Senegalese and French footballer
- Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré (born 1951)Prime Minister of Senegal, 2007-2009
- Cheikh Hamidou (1928–2026)Senegalese writer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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