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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201966peak #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—
1906——
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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 1966

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #76 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 239 girlsAKMaine: #76 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 286 girlsMEVermont: #52 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 158 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #66 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 234 girlsNHWashington: #68 for girls · 85 births · 1 in 251 girlsWAIdaho: #50 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 167 girlsIDMontana: #56 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 206 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #20 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 101 girlsNDMinnesota: #50 for girls · 162 births · 1 in 181 girlsMNIllinois: #52 for girls · 412 births · 1 in 214 girlsILWisconsin: #61 for girls · 158 births · 1 in 225 girlsWIMichigan: #61 for girls · 289 births · 1 in 254 girlsMINew York: #79 for girls · 421 births · 1 in 346 girlsNYMassachusetts: #68 for girls · 182 births · 1 in 247 girlsMARhode Island: #63 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 218 girlsRIOregon: #48 for girls · 75 births · 1 in 177 girlsORNevada: #55 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 172 girlsNVWyoming: #77 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 215 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #28 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 118 girlsSDIowa: #55 for girls · 110 births · 1 in 192 girlsIAIndiana: #51 for girls · 196 births · 1 in 215 girlsINOhio: #49 for girls · 398 births · 1 in 214 girlsOHPennsylvania: #72 for girls · 303 births · 1 in 295 girlsPANew Jersey: #84 for girls · 133 births · 1 in 388 girlsNJConnecticut: #57 for girls · 99 births · 1 in 223 girlsCTCalifornia: #80 for girls · 452 births · 1 in 340 girlsCAUtah: #85 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 304 girlsUTColorado: #66 for girls · 61 births · 1 in 249 girlsCONebraska: #43 for girls · 69 births · 1 in 153 girlsNEMissouri: #43 for girls · 214 births · 1 in 162 girlsMOKentucky: #38 for girls · 158 births · 1 in 157 girlsKYWest Virginia: #65 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 252 girlsWVVirginia: #40 for girls · 197 births · 1 in 174 girlsVAMaryland: #54 for girls · 129 births · 1 in 212 girlsMDDelaware: #41 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 139 girlsDEArizona: #77 for girls · 41 births · 1 in 312 girlsAZNew Mexico: #58 for girls · 39 births · 1 in 223 girlsNMKansas: #44 for girls · 89 births · 1 in 161 girlsKSArkansas: #21 for girls · 135 births · 1 in 103 girlsARTennessee: #33 for girls · 206 births · 1 in 147 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #30 for girls · 288 births · 1 in 138 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #27 for girls · 170 births · 1 in 125 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #49 for girls · 61 births · 1 in 181 girlsDCOklahoma: #35 for girls · 109 births · 1 in 143 girlsOKLouisiana: #38 for girls · 182 births · 1 in 176 girlsLAMississippi: #36 for girls · 117 births · 1 in 167 girlsMSAlabama: #42 for girls · 152 births · 1 in 182 girlsALGeorgia: #29 for girls · 264 births · 1 in 147 girlsGAHawaii: #151 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 545 girlsHITexas: #44 for girls · 404 births · 1 in 227 girlsTXFlorida: #36 for girls · 268 births · 1 in 160 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. North Dakota#20 · 1 in 101
  2. Arkansas#21 · 1 in 103
  3. South Carolina#27 · 1 in 125
  4. South Dakota#28 · 1 in 118
  5. Georgia#29 · 1 in 147

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
North Dakota#20461 in 101
Arkansas#211351 in 103
South Carolina#271701 in 125
South Dakota#28401 in 118
Georgia#292641 in 147
North Carolina#302881 in 138
Tennessee#332061 in 147
Oklahoma#351091 in 143
Florida#362681 in 160
Mississippi#361171 in 167
Kentucky#381581 in 157
Louisiana#381821 in 176
Virginia#401971 in 174
Delaware#41271 in 139
Alabama#421521 in 182
Missouri#432141 in 162
Nebraska#43691 in 153
Kansas#44891 in 161
Texas#444041 in 227
Oregon#48751 in 177
District of Columbia#49611 in 181
Ohio#493981 in 214
Idaho#50261 in 167
Minnesota#501621 in 181
Indiana#511961 in 215
Illinois#524121 in 214
Vermont#52181 in 158
Maryland#541291 in 212
Iowa#551101 in 192
Nevada#55171 in 172
Montana#56221 in 206
Connecticut#57991 in 223
New Mexico#58391 in 223
Michigan#612891 in 254
Wisconsin#611581 in 225
Rhode Island#63321 in 218
West Virginia#65501 in 252
Colorado#66611 in 249
New Hampshire#66201 in 234
Massachusetts#681821 in 247
Washington#68851 in 251
Pennsylvania#723031 in 295
Alaska#7691 in 239
Maine#76271 in 286
Arizona#77411 in 312
Wyoming#7781 in 215
New York#794211 in 346
California#804521 in 340
New Jersey#841331 in 388
Utah#85291 in 304
Hawaii#15191 in 545

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 1966

girls
#51
7,208 births · 1 in 235 girls
boys
#1,963
16 births · 1 in 111,466 boys

Top girls' names in 1966

  1. #1Lisa56,918
  2. #2Kimberly32,232
  3. #3Mary28,890
  4. #4Michelle27,159
  5. #5Karen25,450
  6. #6Susan23,776
  7. #7Patricia20,112
  8. #8Tammy18,621
  9. #9Angela18,532
  10. #10Jennifer18,215
  11. #51Sheila7,208

Top boys' names in 1966

  1. #1Michael79,985
  2. #2David66,408
  3. #3James65,163
  4. #4John65,016
  5. #5Robert59,317
  6. #6William38,237
  7. #7Mark34,801
  8. #8Richard34,457
  9. #9Jeffrey30,200
  10. #10Thomas29,003
  11. #1,963Sheila16
More about 1966

girls

1,692,177 girls got a published name in 1966; 1 in 235 of them was named Sheila, which outranked 99.3% of the 7,624 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sheila
  1. #48Carol8,259
  2. #49Jill7,871
  3. #50Paula7,856
  4. #51Sheila7,208
  5. #52Andrea7,144
  6. #53Sherry6,983
  7. #54Catherine6,962
Biggest movers since 1965
Risers
  1. ↑ 6,121Tabatha#6,539 → #418
  2. ↑ 1,469Tabitha#1,993 → #524
  3. ↑ 1,325Joell#2,247 → #922
  4. ↑ 1,047Tatia#1,715 → #668
  5. ↑ 969Nichole#1,829 → #860
Fallers
  1. ↓ 398Barb#815 → #1,213
  2. ↓ 310Jewell#952 → #1,262
  3. ↓ 288Roxie#944 → #1,232
  4. ↓ 284Aretha#818 → #1,102
  5. ↓ 280Kecia#392 → #672

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

boys

1,783,461 boys got a published name in 1966; 1 in 111,466 of them was named Sheila, which outranked 56.8% of the 4,540 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 28.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Sheila
  1. #1,891Vester17
  2. #1,891Wayman17
  3. #1,891Waymond17
  4. #1,963Sheila16
  5. #1,963Agapito16
  6. #1,963Ahmad16
  7. #1,963Alessandro16
  8. #2,043Alfy15
  9. #2,043Aloysius15
  10. #2,043Annette15

Tied with 79 names at #1,963; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1965
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,207Jarrod#1,720 → #513
  2. ↑ 893Heath#1,254 → #361
  3. ↑ 467Illya#1,294 → #827
  4. ↑ 419Jarrett#1,294 → #875
  5. ↑ 399Reynold#1,360 → #961
Fallers
  1. ↓ 464Quint#986 → #1,450
  2. ↓ 303Dario#934 → #1,237
  3. ↓ 299Darran#1,000 → #1,299
  4. ↓ 281Artie#897 → #1,178
  5. ↓ 268Daryn#716 → #984

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

See the top 100 for 1966 →