Sheila

#2,645 for girls in 2025, 65 births · Last seen for boys in 1989 at #5,615
Given to girls 99.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1963 · 8,706 births
Debut · girls
9 births
In top 100 · girls
30 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
238,774
since 1907

Sheila over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201949peak #50, 1963girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#2,64565—
2024#2,01197—
2023#1,934102—
2022#1,659127—
2021#1,768115—
2020#1,593131—
2019#2,09090—
2018#2,02696—
2017#1,930104—
2016#1,815114—
2015#1,704124—
2014#1,410162—
2013#1,514145—
2012#1,523145—
2011#1,289183—
2010#1,278186—
2009#1,392170—
2008#1,145224—
2007#988271—
2006#938279—
2005#1,015240—
2004#802315—
2003#815303—
2002#722340—
2001#657383—
2000#688343—
1999#653353—
1998#662348—
1997#698309—
1996#605378—
1995#582395—
1994#563419—
1993#462543—
1992#400642—
1991#406633—
1990#413626—
1989#385658#5,6158
1988#349711#5,7517
1987#306800—
1986#261979#5,9266
1985#2511,012—
1984#267908—
1983#249946#6,2385
1982#2311,099#5,6196
1981#2171,214#4,9617
1980#2141,214#6,2505
1979#1951,368#6,0565
1978#1841,414#4,5547
1977#1631,656#4,1648
1976#1431,871#3,09512
1975#1342,099#3,9418
1974#1212,438#3,12011
1973#1012,999#3,4459
1972#903,394#3,3449
1971#814,333#2,55814
1970#754,937#3,07110
1969#685,245#2,13016
1968#595,730#2,03016
1967#566,326#1,47627
1966#517,208#1,96316
1965#507,904#1,45628
1964#518,471#1,85019
1963#508,706#1,74421
1962#528,778#1,45429
1961#597,805#1,87619
1960#567,905#1,81220
1959#527,984#1,70922
1958#597,291#1,83819
1957#587,763#1,95217
1956#557,872#1,88618
1955#577,661#3,2017
1954#607,202#2,11414
1953#606,965#1,90017
1952#646,217#2,15313
1951#695,897#2,13513
1950#705,322#1,94115
1949#764,774#2,22512
1948#715,022#2,44310
1947#735,095#2,25112
1946#704,706#2,6908
1945#893,178#2,7437
1944#1032,665#1,81015
1943#923,063#2,07413
1942#942,973#2,04213
1941#1102,341—
1940#1301,923—
1939#1251,957#2,6098
1938#1361,784#2,18511
1937#1421,573#2,08812
1936#1571,312#2,8547
1935#1511,326#3,2526
1934#222781#3,2776
1933#226737—
1932#251609—
1931#265538—
1930#363341—
1929#367332#3,9595
1928#433242—
1927#455233—
1926#479210—
1925#473214—
1924#574162—
1923#625139—
1922#661120—
1921#707110—
1920#76291—
1919#83569—
1918#82176—
1917#89659—
1916#1,02645—
1915#1,02542—
1914#1,08031—
1913#1,35818—
1912#1,17820—
1911#1,03118—
1910#1,52110—
1909#1,15213—
1908#1,26111—
1907#1,3849—
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First appearance
1907

The first year at least five girls were named Sheila! It came in at #1,384, and was given to 9 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1907–1910, when fewer than 14 girls a year got the name.

Where Sheila is popular in 1949

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Sheila, so not publishedAKMaine: #37 for girls · 58 births · 1 in 157 girlsMEVermont: #43 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 153 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #54 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 191 girlsNHWashington: #73 for girls · 79 births · 1 in 318 girlsWAIdaho: #59 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 236 girlsIDMontana: #55 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 217 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #59 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 230 girlsNDMinnesota: #73 for girls · 95 births · 1 in 342 girlsMNIllinois: #63 for girls · 296 births · 1 in 290 girlsILWisconsin: #95 for girls · 75 births · 1 in 492 girlsWIMichigan: #91 for girls · 165 births · 1 in 428 girlsMINew York: #75 for girls · 468 births · 1 in 303 girlsNYMassachusetts: #52 for girls · 221 births · 1 in 202 girlsMARhode Island: #60 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 242 girlsRIOregon: #73 for girls · 47 births · 1 in 320 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Sheila, so not publishedNVWyoming: #96 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 364 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #39 for girls · 42 births · 1 in 168 girlsSDIowa: #53 for girls · 109 births · 1 in 250 girlsIAIndiana: #67 for girls · 137 births · 1 in 307 girlsINOhio: #83 for girls · 230 births · 1 in 377 girlsOHPennsylvania: #102 for girls · 217 births · 1 in 473 girlsPANew Jersey: #98 for girls · 93 births · 1 in 456 girlsNJConnecticut: #74 for girls · 53 births · 1 in 326 girlsCTCalifornia: #95 for girls · 271 births · 1 in 418 girlsCAUtah: #63 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 249 girlsUTColorado: #113 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 491 girlsCONebraska: #75 for girls · 39 births · 1 in 345 girlsNEMissouri: #75 for girls · 108 births · 1 in 359 girlsMOKentucky: #62 for girls · 128 births · 1 in 266 girlsKYWest Virginia: #51 for girls · 95 births · 1 in 251 girlsWVVirginia: #70 for girls · 106 births · 1 in 337 girlsVAMaryland: #52 for girls · 100 births · 1 in 225 girlsMDDelaware: #81 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 325 girlsDEArizona: #115 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 445 girlsAZNew Mexico: #128 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 482 girlsNMKansas: #75 for girls · 57 births · 1 in 315 girlsKSArkansas: #91 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 414 girlsARTennessee: #52 for girls · 147 births · 1 in 256 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #62 for girls · 171 births · 1 in 287 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #155 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 695 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #56 for girls · 52 births · 1 in 221 girlsDCOklahoma: #82 for girls · 54 births · 1 in 398 girlsOKLouisiana: #91 for girls · 84 births · 1 in 399 girlsLAMississippi: #121 for girls · 60 births · 1 in 486 girlsMSAlabama: #61 for girls · 128 births · 1 in 292 girlsALGeorgia: #78 for girls · 131 births · 1 in 325 girlsGAHawaii: #47 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 182 girlsHITexas: #119 for girls · 166 births · 1 in 571 girlsTXFlorida: #72 for girls · 86 births · 1 in 313 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Maine#37 · 1 in 157
  2. South Dakota#39 · 1 in 168
  3. Vermont#43 · 1 in 153
  4. Hawaii#47 · 1 in 182
  5. West Virginia#51 · 1 in 251

Best ever in a state: #15 in North Dakota, 1965.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Maine#37581 in 157
South Dakota#39421 in 168
Vermont#43231 in 153
Hawaii#47291 in 182
West Virginia#51951 in 251
Maryland#521001 in 225
Massachusetts#522211 in 202
Tennessee#521471 in 256
Iowa#531091 in 250
New Hampshire#54261 in 191
Montana#55281 in 217
District of Columbia#56521 in 221
Idaho#59261 in 236
North Dakota#59291 in 230
Rhode Island#60301 in 242
Alabama#611281 in 292
Kentucky#621281 in 266
North Carolina#621711 in 287
Illinois#632961 in 290
Utah#63331 in 249
Indiana#671371 in 307
Virginia#701061 in 337
Florida#72861 in 313
Minnesota#73951 in 342
Oregon#73471 in 320
Washington#73791 in 318
Connecticut#74531 in 326
Kansas#75571 in 315
Missouri#751081 in 359
Nebraska#75391 in 345
New York#754681 in 303
Georgia#781311 in 325
Delaware#8191 in 325
Oklahoma#82541 in 398
Ohio#832301 in 377
Arkansas#91541 in 414
Louisiana#91841 in 399
Michigan#911651 in 428
California#952711 in 418
Wisconsin#95751 in 492
Wyoming#9671 in 364
New Jersey#98931 in 456
Pennsylvania#1022171 in 473
Colorado#113291 in 491
Arizona#115201 in 445
Texas#1191661 in 571
Mississippi#121601 in 486
New Mexico#128181 in 482
South Carolina#155401 in 695
Alaska———
Nevada———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Sheila
Momentum · girls
Falling
  • 634 spots since 2024 (#2,011 → #2,645)
  • 1,052 spots since 2020 (#1,593 → #2,645)
  • 941 spots since 2015 (#1,704 → #2,645)
  • Biggest jump: 130 spots in 1917 (#1,026 → #896)
  • Biggest drop: 213 spots in 2005 (#802 → #1,015)
Rise & fade · girls
56 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1907
  • Peaked 1963 at #50 (8,706 births)
  • Births halved by 1971, 8 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 30 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 30 yrs · run 1945–1972
  • Top 1,000: 90 yrs · run 1917–2004
Share of babies · girls
1 in 221
  • Highest: 1 in 221 girls born in 1963 were named Sheila (0.45%)
  • Latest: 1 in 24,727 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · girls
The 1960s
  • 31.0% of all girls named Sheila (74,078) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1900s33#1,152 (1909)#1,266
1910s388#821 (1918)#1,077
1920s1,853#367 (1929)#554
1930s10,958#125 (1939)#204
1940s35,740#70 (1946)#91
1950s70,174#52 (1959)#60
1960s74,078#50 (1963)#55
1970s26,509#75 (1970)#129
1980s9,541#214 (1980)#273
1990s4,646#400 (1992)#544
2000s2,868#657 (2001)#916
2010s1,349#1,278 (2010)#1,658
2020s637#1,593 (2020)#1,935

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Sheila in 1949

girls
#76
4,774 births · 1 in 358 girls
boys
#2,225
12 births · 1 in 147,828 boys

Top girls' names in 1949

  1. #1Linda91,015
  2. #2Mary66,874
  3. #3Patricia46,324
  4. #4Barbara42,600
  5. #5Susan37,709
  6. #6Sandra30,643
  7. #7Nancy29,249
  8. #8Carol26,780
  9. #9Kathleen26,357
  10. #10Sharon25,713
  11. #76Sheila4,774

Top boys' names in 1949

  1. #1James86,858
  2. #2Robert83,873
  3. #3John81,178
  4. #4William61,506
  5. #5Michael60,047
  6. #6David59,611
  7. #7Richard50,946
  8. #8Thomas45,192
  9. #9Charles40,052
  10. #10Larry31,819
  11. #2,225Sheila12
More about 1949

girls

1,710,877 girls got a published name in 1949; 1 in 358 of them was named Sheila, which outranked 98.7% of the 6,066 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sheila
  1. #73Lois4,915
  2. #74Lynn4,880
  3. #75Darlene4,799
  4. #76Sheila4,774
  5. #77Sally4,773
  6. #78Marcia4,651
  7. #79Marsha4,611
Biggest movers since 1948
Risers
  1. ↑ 937Sharman#1,708 → #771
  2. ↑ 665Roseanna#1,422 → #757
  3. ↑ 483Shauna#1,173 → #690
  4. ↑ 293Jacalyn#1,116 → #823
  5. ↑ 267Sanjuana#1,185 → #918
Fallers
  1. ↓ 339Sandie#939 → #1,278
  2. ↓ 296Syble#955 → #1,251
  3. ↓ 272Shirleen#964 → #1,236
  4. ↓ 266Ginny#734 → #1,000
  5. ↓ 260Dina#861 → #1,121

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,773,939 boys got a published name in 1949; 1 in 147,828 of them was named Sheila, which outranked 47.1% of the 4,205 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sheila
  1. #2,123Wille13
  2. #2,123Williard13
  3. #2,123Winslow13
  4. #2,225Sheila12
  5. #2,225Abdul12
  6. #2,225Alben12
  7. #2,225Alwyn12
  8. #2,337Abelino11
  9. #2,337Abie11
  10. #2,337Alain11

Tied with 111 names at #2,225; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1948
Risers
  1. ↑ 538Lannie#1,107 → #569
  2. ↑ 411Lenwood#1,296 → #885
  3. ↑ 338Robby#1,296 → #958
  4. ↑ 326Ocie#1,323 → #997
  5. ↑ 319Denzil#1,127 → #808
Fallers
  1. ↓ 473Loyal#989 → #1,462
  2. ↓ 446Rich#963 → #1,409
  3. ↓ 395Brock#733 → #1,128
  4. ↓ 376Baron#972 → #1,348
  5. ↓ 333Murry#989 → #1,322

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1949 →