elSheikhs

elSheikhs is a transliteration that blends the Arabic title al‑Shaykh with English typographic conventions. In Arabic, shaykh means a leader, elder, or learned person, and al‑ is the definite article. The composite elSheikhs is used in English-language texts to refer to individuals who bear the title as an honorific or as a family name. The form elSheikhs can also appear as part of a proper name in various Arab communities and in the Arab diaspora.

Historically, a shaykh is a person of authority within a tribe, clan, or religious community. When used as a title before a given name, it signals status, authority, or respect. In some contexts, the title denotes hereditary leadership or a recognized scholar.

In many Arab-majority countries, al-Sheikh or el-Sheikh is a common surname. It may indicate ancestral association with a family linked to a teacher, religious scholar, or tribal leader, or reflect the historical role of an individual who held the title. Variants include Al-Sheikh, Al-Shaikh, or El-Sheikh, reflecting differences in transliteration conventions.

The term carries cultural and political resonance in some regions, where it appears in official titles, religious institutions, and media. In modern contexts, people identified as elSheikhs may be public figures, scholars, business leaders, or community elders in the diaspora.