The district of Sheikhupura derives its name from its headquarters town, which was named after the Emperor Jehangir, who founded it and was called by nickname of Sheikhu by his father. Akbar the great, in reverence to a saint living in the vicinity who had blessed the young prince. In these days the surroundings of Sheikhupura abound in wild life and emperor used to go there for hunting.

Sheikhupura district was constituted in the year 1919 primarily to reduce the extensive boundaries and to remove the administrative difficulties caused by the unwillingness of Gujranwala district as then constituted. It was enlarged later by contribution received from Sialkot, Lahore and Faisalabad districts. The headquarter was shifted to Sheikhupura in 1922, when the construction of new offices was completed. 

Sheikhupura is also known to be the birth place of Syed Waris Shah who promoted spiritualism in this area and his great legend Heer has significant place in Punjabi literature. The other religious and noble figures were Hazrat Sher Muhammad Sharaqpuri, Hazrat Dewan, Baba Naulakh Hazari and Pir Bhar Shah, who spent their whole lives in preaching Islam. It is also a birth place of Baba Gurunank, the founder of Sikh religion.