Shelia
A female given name, variant of Sheila.
Every Shelia since 1915 — 47,891 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Shelia
Shelia is not currently in use for newborns in the United States — fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.
Since 1915, 47,891 American babies have been named Shelia. Its peak came in 1959, when 2,293 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1950s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Shelia stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Shelia year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | — | — |
| 2024 | — | — | — | — |
| 2023 | 7 | #13,266 | — | — |
| 2022 | 7 | #13,380 | — | — |
| 2021 | 9 | #11,035 | — | — |
| 2020 | 11 | #9,453 | — | — |
| 2019 | 7 | #13,604 | — | — |
| 2018 | — | — | — | — |
| 2017 | 16 | #7,390 | — | — |
| 2016 | 12 | #9,349 | — | — |
| 2015 | 11 | #10,057 | — | — |
| 2014 | 10 | #10,833 | — | — |
| 2013 | 8 | #12,987 | — | — |
| 2012 | 8 | #13,292 | — | — |
| 2011 | 8 | #13,182 | — | — |
| 2010 | 13 | #9,153 | — | — |
| 2009 | 19 | #7,028 | — | — |
| 2008 | 12 | #9,988 | — | — |
| 2007 | 12 | #10,051 | — | — |
| 2006 | 16 | #7,806 | — | — |
| 2005 | 13 | #8,797 | — | — |
| 2004 | 28 | #4,800 | — | — |
| 2003 | 14 | #7,933 | — | — |
| 2002 | 22 | #5,419 | — | — |
| 2001 | 28 | #4,430 | — | — |
| 2000 | 26 | #4,636 | — | — |
| 1995 | 40 | #2,969 | — | — |
| 1990 | 82 | #1,778 | — | — |
| 1985 | 124 | #1,156 | — | — |
| 1980 | 218 | #762 | — | — |
| 1975 | 450 | #441 | — | — |
| 1970 | 1,192 | #258 | 5 | #5,336 |
| 1965 | 1,892 | #182 | 11 | #2,598 |
| 1960 | 2,256 | #177 | 8 | #3,299 |
| 1955 | 1,837 | #181 | 6 | #3,829 |
| 1950 | 957 | #242 | — | — |
| 1945 | 305 | #407 | — | — |
| 1940 | 82 | #785 | — | — |
| 1935 | 43 | #1,069 | — | — |
| 1930 | 10 | #3,025 | — | — |
| 1925 | 22 | #1,884 | — | — |
| 1920 | 7 | #4,335 | — | — |
| 1915 | 5 | #4,860 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Shelia mean?
A female given name, variant of Sheila.
How popular is the name Shelia in 2025?
Shelia did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.
How many people are named Shelia?
47,891 babies have been named Shelia in the United States since 1915, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Shelia most popular?
Shelia peaked in 1959, when 2,293 newborns received the name.
Is Shelia a boy or girl name?
Shelia is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Shelia rising or falling?
Shelia is declining — less popular now than a decade ago.