Sheikh, also rendered as Sheik, Shaykh or Shaikh, is a word in the Arabic Language, which means elder of a tribe, lord, revered wise man, or Islamic Scholar. The term literally means a man of old age, and it is used in that sense in Qur’anic Arabic. Later it came to be a title meaning leader, elder, or noble, specially in the Arabian Peninsula, where Shaikh became a traditional title of a Bedouin tribal leader in recent centuries.

The title is not only used by Muslims; it is also used by Arab Christians for elder men of stature, showing that it is independent of religion. Its usage and meaning is similar to the Latin senex meaning old man, from which the English “Senator” is derived. In the Persian Gulf States the title is used for men of stature, whether they are managers in high posts, wealthy business owner, or local rulers. In Lebanon, the title and its equivalent female form are commonly used when addressing members of the traditional Christian Feudal families such as in chronological order of the Maronite families who first had this title bestowed upon them: Hobeiche

(since 1515, ruled Ftouh Keerwan and the city of Ghazir), El-Khazen (since 1545, ruled the Keserwan area and held the title of Consul of France), and El-Dahdah (since early XVIth Century, also ruled certain areas of Keserwan). The Persian word “Shah” (King) is linguistically related to “Sheikh”.