Allen, this is REALLY off the subject of this thread,

but since I love etymology, I can't resist attempting to respond to your post.

from Internet encyclopedia site whose URL I failed to get
sheikh, sheik

noun {C}

an Arab ruler or head of a tribe
sheikhdom

from Julia Sewart "African Names" {New York, Carol Publishing Group, 1993, p. 28-29}
"Cheikh {shayk}- Guinean {Guinea, West Africa} name meaning "learned"
Cheikh Hamadou Kane is a Senegalese politician and writer whose novel "Ambiguous Adventure" won the 1962 Grand Prix Litteraire de l'Afrique Noir."

I assume that the name {and title?} 'Cheikh' originally came from Arabic, but I can't be certain. Also I'm not sure if 'Cheikh' is an earned praise name or is given at birth..