Sheila
The Irish Síle, from Cecilia, spelled phonetically in English.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Sheila first shows up in the national records in 1907. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in 30 different years between 1942 and 1972. Its biggest year was 1962, when 8,778 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 52 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1963, at No. 50. All told, 239,422 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Sheilah (2,285), Shela (1,398), Shella (1,129), Sheela (679), Shelagh (510), Shelah (510) (total births since 1880)
Explore Sheila interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 33 | No. 1152 |
| 1910s | 388 | No. 821 |
| 1920s | 1,853 | No. 367 |
| 1930s | 10,958 | No. 125 |
| 1940s | 35,740 | No. 70 |
| 1950s | 70,174 | No. 52 |
| 1960s | 74,078 | No. 50 |
| 1970s | 26,509 | No. 75 |
| 1980s | 9,541 | No. 214 |
| 1990s | 4,646 | No. 400 |
| 2000s | 2,868 | No. 657 |
| 2010s | 1,349 | No. 1278 |
| 2020s | 637 | No. 1593 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.