Shelia

Last seen for girls in 2023 at #12,197 · Last seen for boys in 1971 at #3,963
Given to girls 99.8% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1959 · 2,283 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
never
of 146 years
Total births · girls
47,780
since 1915

Shelia over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Shelia has never cracked the top 100 here.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201966peak #170, 1959girls
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——
2024——
2023#12,1977—
2022#12,2437—
2021#10,2929—
2020#8,95311—
2019#12,4487—
2018——
2017#7,09216—
2016#8,87512—
2015#9,48111—
2014#10,12910—
2013#11,9698—
2012#12,1998—
2011#12,1538—
2010#8,70113—
2009#6,81119—
2008#9,47612—
2007#9,53912—
2006#7,48216—
2005#8,33013—
2004#4,70728—
2003#7,58014—
2002#5,25422—
2001#4,32128—
2000#4,52726—
1999#4,20127—
1998#3,64832—
1997#3,36534—
1996#3,23736—
1995#2,93240—
1994#2,35355—
1993#2,38053—
1992#2,19161—
1991#1,72784—
1990#1,76982—
1989#1,65183—
1988#1,400100—
1987#1,302106—
1986#1,122129—
1985#1,149124—
1984#1,067131—
1983#1,114121—
1982#900168—
1981#882173—
1980#759218—
1979#728228—
1978#646251—
1977#599284—
1976#524339—
1975#441450—
1974#377567—
1973#325691—
1972#304803—
1971#2761,037#3,9637
1970#2581,192#4,7245
1969#2321,304—
1968#2191,358#4,1365
1967#2081,476—
1966#1811,806#3,5376
1965#1821,892#2,47611
1964#1862,012#2,8549
1963#1852,064#3,0448
1962#1732,271#4,0335
1961#1892,005#3,0978
1960#1772,256#3,0778
1959#1702,283#2,66310
1958#1802,091#3,5596
1957#1802,093#3,5526
1956#1831,946#3,9425
1955#1811,837#3,5056
1954#1901,665#3,4526
1953#2041,484—
1952#2231,236—
1951#2231,160—
1950#242957—
1949#269821—
1948#274795—
1947#283744—
1946#315550—
1945#406305—
1944#484219—
1943#509215—
1942#603152—
1941#620130—
1940#78082—
1939#81172—
1938#87564—
1937#89659—
1936#1,05344—
1935#1,05543—
1934#1,69720—
1933#1,40027—
1932#1,59723—
1931#1,63522—
1930#2,84510—
1929#2,30114—
1928#2,02318—
1927#2,25616—
1926#1,77223—
1925#1,84722—
1924#2,40915—
1923#2,91711—
1922#2,61213—
1921#3,6668—
1920#3,9577—
1919#3,8177—
1918——
1917#4,0836—
1916#3,9196—
1915#4,2745—
1914——
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1912——
1911——
1910——
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1908——
1907——
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1881——
1880——
First appearance
1915

The first year at least five girls were named Shelia! It came in at #4,274, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1918, when fewer than 5 girls a year got the name.

Where Shelia is popular in 1966

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #348 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 3,262 girlsMNIllinois: #261 for girls · 57 births · 1 in 1,544 girlsILWisconsin: #401 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 4,445 girlsWIMichigan: #290 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 1,987 girlsMINew York: #468 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 4,167 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedSDIowa: #332 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,635 girlsIAIndiana: #286 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,912 girlsINOhio: #256 for girls · 52 births · 1 in 1,638 girlsOHPennsylvania: #406 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 3,893 girlsPANew Jersey: #358 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 2,867 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #474 for girls · 44 births · 1 in 3,494 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedNEMissouri: #144 for girls · 51 births · 1 in 678 girlsMOKentucky: #89 for girls · 67 births · 1 in 371 girlsKYWest Virginia: #93 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 382 girlsWVVirginia: #98 for girls · 80 births · 1 in 428 girlsVAMaryland: #240 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,367 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedDEArizona: #434 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,559 girlsAZNew Mexico: #309 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,449 girlsNMKansas: #230 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 1,101 girlsKSArkansas: #50 for girls · 66 births · 1 in 211 girlsARTennessee: #53 for girls · 138 births · 1 in 220 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #66 for girls · 139 births · 1 in 286 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #93 for girls · 56 births · 1 in 379 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #200 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 918 girlsDCOklahoma: #134 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 579 girlsOKLouisiana: #55 for girls · 135 births · 1 in 237 girlsLAMississippi: #31 for girls · 132 births · 1 in 148 girlsMSAlabama: #46 for girls · 141 births · 1 in 196 girlsALGeorgia: #75 for girls · 126 births · 1 in 307 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Shelia, so not publishedHITexas: #156 for girls · 139 births · 1 in 661 girlsTXFlorida: #149 for girls · 68 births · 1 in 631 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Mississippi#31 · 1 in 148
  2. Alabama#46 · 1 in 196
  3. Arkansas#50 · 1 in 211
  4. Tennessee#53 · 1 in 220
  5. Louisiana#55 · 1 in 237

Best ever in a state: #31 in Mississippi, 1966.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#311321 in 148
Alabama#461411 in 196
Arkansas#50661 in 211
Tennessee#531381 in 220
Louisiana#551351 in 237
North Carolina#661391 in 286
Georgia#751261 in 307
Kentucky#89671 in 371
South Carolina#93561 in 379
West Virginia#93331 in 382
Virginia#98801 in 428
Oklahoma#134271 in 579
Missouri#144511 in 678
Florida#149681 in 631
Texas#1561391 in 661
District of Columbia#200121 in 918
Kansas#230131 in 1,101
Maryland#240201 in 1,367
Ohio#256521 in 1,638
Illinois#261571 in 1,544
Indiana#286221 in 1,912
Michigan#290371 in 1,987
New Mexico#30961 in 1,449
Iowa#33281 in 2,635
Minnesota#34891 in 3,262
New Jersey#358181 in 2,867
Wisconsin#40181 in 4,445
Pennsylvania#406231 in 3,893
Arizona#43451 in 2,559
New York#468351 in 4,167
California#474441 in 3,494
Alaska———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Maine———
Massachusetts———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
Utah———
Vermont———
Washington———
Wyoming———

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 Shelia
Momentum · girls
Faded out
  • Not published in 2025; last seen 2023
  • Biggest jump: 160 spots in 1941 (#780 → #620)
  • Biggest drop: 214 spots in 1983 (#900 → #1,114)
Rise & fade · girls
44 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1915
  • Peaked 1959 at #170 (2,283 births)
  • Births halved by 1971, 12 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 1,000 for 46 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: never
  • Top 1,000: 46 yrs · run 1937–1982
Share of babies · girls
1 in 866
  • Highest: 1 in 866 girls born in 1962 were named Shelia (0.12%)
  • Latest: 1 in 229,226 girls born in 2023 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #170 in 1959, was only 1 in 886 (0.11%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1960s
  • 38.6% of all girls named Shelia (18,444) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1910s24#3,817 (1919)#4,023
1920s147#1,772 (1926)#2,576
1930s384#811 (1939)#1,386
1940s4,013#269 (1949)#454
1950s16,752#170 (1959)#198
1960s18,444#173 (1962)#193
1970s5,842#258 (1970)#448
1980s1,353#759 (1980)#1,135
1990s504#1,727 (1991)#2,780
2000s190#4,321 (2001)#6,803
2010s93#7,092 (2017)#10,339
2020s34#8,953 (2020)#10,921

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.

Shelia in 1966

girls
#181
1,806 births · 1 in 937 girls
boys
#3,537
6 births · 1 in 297,244 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. #181Shelia1,806

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. #3,537Shelia6
More about 1966

girls

1,692,177 girls got a published name in 1966; 1 in 937 of them was named Shelia, which outranked 97.6% 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 Shelia
  1. #178Norma1,860
  2. #179Sally1,834
  3. #180Roberta1,819
  4. #181Shelia1,806
  5. #182Samantha1,793
  6. #183Audrey1,771
  7. #184Allison1,768
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 297,244 of them was named Shelia, which outranked 22.1% 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 Shelia
  1. #3,249Williard7
  2. #3,249Yosef7
  3. #3,249Zollie7
  4. #3,537Shelia6
  5. #3,537Adriel6
  6. #3,537Adrienne6
  7. #3,537Adron6
  8. #3,948Aarron5
  9. #3,948Abdel5
  10. #3,948Abelino5

Tied with 410 names at #3,537; 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 →