Shaheen
A surname of Arabic origin meaning “hawk” or “falcon,” often used as a nickname or honorific.
The #9,458 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 89,752 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Shaheen comes from a Middle Eastern word for a kind of hawk or falcon, ultimately from Persian and Arabic usage. In many naming traditions, such animal terms were used as nicknames for someone thought to be sharp-eyed, swift, or noble. As a surname, it was later inherited by families across Arabic-speaking and South Asian communities.
History
The name is found among Muslim families in the Middle East and South Asia, especially in Arabic- and Urdu-influenced naming traditions. It became more widely visible in English-language records through immigration and diaspora communities. Spelling varies because the original sounds are being rendered into Latin letters in more than one way.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
The word is also used in some contexts for a particular type of falcon prized in hunting.