The "Shaikh" word is an Arabic term meaning elder of a tribe, lord, revered old man, or Islamic scholar.

They speak the various dialects of Sindhi, depending on their place of residence.

The Shaikh are largely an urban community, residing in the towns and cities of Sindh.

Shaikhs have different communities within them, namely Baghdadi, Sanjogi, Nangani, Deewan, and Chatani.

[1][page needed] In Sindh, it is used as an ethnic title generally attributed to converted Hindu trading families that became Muslims.