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
- Peak · girls
- 1959 · 2,283 births
- Debut · girls
- 5 births
- In top 100 · girls
- neverof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 47,780since 1915
Shelia over time
girls
Rank among girls' names. Shelia has never cracked the top 100 here.
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
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | — | — | ||
| 2024 | — | — | ||
| 2023 | #12,197 | 7 | — | |
| 2022 | #12,243 | 7 | — | |
| 2021 | #10,292 | 9 | — | |
| 2020 | #8,953 | 11 | — | |
| 2019 | #12,448 | 7 | — | |
| 2018 | — | — | ||
| 2017 | #7,092 | 16 | — | |
| 2016 | #8,875 | 12 | — | |
| 2015 | #9,481 | 11 | — | |
| 2014 | #10,129 | 10 | — | |
| 2013 | #11,969 | 8 | — | |
| 2012 | #12,199 | 8 | — | |
| 2011 | #12,153 | 8 | — | |
| 2010 | #8,701 | 13 | — | |
| 2009 | #6,811 | 19 | — | |
| 2008 | #9,476 | 12 | — | |
| 2007 | #9,539 | 12 | — | |
| 2006 | #7,482 | 16 | — | |
| 2005 | #8,330 | 13 | — | |
| 2004 | #4,707 | 28 | — | |
| 2003 | #7,580 | 14 | — | |
| 2002 | #5,254 | 22 | — | |
| 2001 | #4,321 | 28 | — | |
| 2000 | #4,527 | 26 | — | |
| 1999 | #4,201 | 27 | — | |
| 1998 | #3,648 | 32 | — | |
| 1997 | #3,365 | 34 | — | |
| 1996 | #3,237 | 36 | — | |
| 1995 | #2,932 | 40 | — | |
| 1994 | #2,353 | 55 | — | |
| 1993 | #2,380 | 53 | — | |
| 1992 | #2,191 | 61 | — | |
| 1991 | #1,727 | 84 | — | |
| 1990 | #1,769 | 82 | — | |
| 1989 | #1,651 | 83 | — | |
| 1988 | #1,400 | 100 | — | |
| 1987 | #1,302 | 106 | — | |
| 1986 | #1,122 | 129 | — | |
| 1985 | #1,149 | 124 | — | |
| 1984 | #1,067 | 131 | — | |
| 1983 | #1,114 | 121 | — | |
| 1982 | #900 | 168 | — | |
| 1981 | #882 | 173 | — | |
| 1980 | #759 | 218 | — | |
| 1979 | #728 | 228 | — | |
| 1978 | #646 | 251 | — | |
| 1977 | #599 | 284 | — | |
| 1976 | #524 | 339 | — | |
| 1975 | #441 | 450 | — | |
| 1974 | #377 | 567 | — | |
| 1973 | #325 | 691 | — | |
| 1972 | #304 | 803 | — | |
| 1971 | #276 | 1,037 | #3,963 | 7 |
| 1970 | #258 | 1,192 | #4,724 | 5 |
| 1969 | #232 | 1,304 | — | |
| 1968 | #219 | 1,358 | #4,136 | 5 |
| 1967 | #208 | 1,476 | — | |
| 1966 | #181 | 1,806 | #3,537 | 6 |
| 1965 | #182 | 1,892 | #2,476 | 11 |
| 1964 | #186 | 2,012 | #2,854 | 9 |
| 1963 | #185 | 2,064 | #3,044 | 8 |
| 1962 | #173 | 2,271 | #4,033 | 5 |
| 1961 | #189 | 2,005 | #3,097 | 8 |
| 1960 | #177 | 2,256 | #3,077 | 8 |
| 1959 | #170 | 2,283 | #2,663 | 10 |
| 1958 | #180 | 2,091 | #3,559 | 6 |
| 1957 | #180 | 2,093 | #3,552 | 6 |
| 1956 | #183 | 1,946 | #3,942 | 5 |
| 1955 | #181 | 1,837 | #3,505 | 6 |
| 1954 | #190 | 1,665 | #3,452 | 6 |
| 1953 | #204 | 1,484 | — | |
| 1952 | #223 | 1,236 | — | |
| 1951 | #223 | 1,160 | — | |
| 1950 | #242 | 957 | — | |
| 1949 | #269 | 821 | — | |
| 1948 | #274 | 795 | — | |
| 1947 | #283 | 744 | — | |
| 1946 | #315 | 550 | — | |
| 1945 | #406 | 305 | — | |
| 1944 | #484 | 219 | — | |
| 1943 | #509 | 215 | — | |
| 1942 | #603 | 152 | — | |
| 1941 | #620 | 130 | — | |
| 1940 | #780 | 82 | — | |
| 1939 | #811 | 72 | — | |
| 1938 | #875 | 64 | — | |
| 1937 | #896 | 59 | — | |
| 1936 | #1,053 | 44 | — | |
| 1935 | #1,055 | 43 | — | |
| 1934 | #1,697 | 20 | — | |
| 1933 | #1,400 | 27 | — | |
| 1932 | #1,597 | 23 | — | |
| 1931 | #1,635 | 22 | — | |
| 1930 | #2,845 | 10 | — | |
| 1929 | #2,301 | 14 | — | |
| 1928 | #2,023 | 18 | — | |
| 1927 | #2,256 | 16 | — | |
| 1926 | #1,772 | 23 | — | |
| 1925 | #1,847 | 22 | — | |
| 1924 | #2,409 | 15 | — | |
| 1923 | #2,917 | 11 | — | |
| 1922 | #2,612 | 13 | — | |
| 1921 | #3,666 | 8 | — | |
| 1920 | #3,957 | 7 | — | |
| 1919 | #3,817 | 7 | — | |
| 1918 | — | — | ||
| 1917 | #4,083 | 6 | — | |
| 1916 | #3,919 | 6 | — | |
| 1915 | #4,274 | 5 | — | |
| 1914 | — | — | ||
| 1913 | — | — | ||
| 1912 | — | — | ||
| 1911 | — | — | ||
| 1910 | — | — | ||
| 1909 | — | — | ||
| 1908 | — | — | ||
| 1907 | — | — | ||
| 1906 | — | — | ||
| 1905 | — | — | ||
| 1904 | — | — | ||
| 1903 | — | — | ||
| 1902 | — | — | ||
| 1901 | — | — | ||
| 1900 | — | — | ||
| 1899 | — | — | ||
| 1898 | — | — | ||
| 1897 | — | — | ||
| 1896 | — | — | ||
| 1895 | — | — | ||
| 1894 | — | — | ||
| 1893 | — | — | ||
| 1892 | — | — | ||
| 1891 | — | — | ||
| 1890 | — | — | ||
| 1889 | — | — | ||
| 1888 | — | — | ||
| 1887 | — | — | ||
| 1886 | — | — | ||
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | — | ||
| 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 1973
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · girls
- Mississippi#50 · 1 in 219
- Alabama#112 · 1 in 450
- Arkansas#126 · 1 in 566
- North Carolina#135 · 1 in 581
- Tennessee#139 · 1 in 669
Best ever in a state: #31 in Mississippi, 1966.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | #50 | 75 | 1 in 219 |
| Alabama | #112 | 51 | 1 in 450 |
| Arkansas | #126 | 22 | 1 in 566 |
| North Carolina | #135 | 60 | 1 in 581 |
| Tennessee | #139 | 41 | 1 in 669 |
| West Virginia | #170 | 15 | 1 in 759 |
| Kentucky | #179 | 27 | 1 in 859 |
| Louisiana | #184 | 32 | 1 in 803 |
| Oklahoma | #187 | 18 | 1 in 855 |
| Georgia | #192 | 38 | 1 in 897 |
| South Carolina | #223 | 17 | 1 in 1,081 |
| Florida | #250 | 32 | 1 in 1,342 |
| Virginia | #275 | 17 | 1 in 1,651 |
| Missouri | #276 | 17 | 1 in 1,715 |
| Texas | #330 | 52 | 1 in 1,815 |
| Kansas | #381 | 5 | 1 in 2,393 |
| Illinois | #388 | 27 | 1 in 2,601 |
| Minnesota | #394 | 6 | 1 in 3,796 |
| Indiana | #402 | 11 | 1 in 3,223 |
| Michigan | #411 | 18 | 1 in 3,271 |
| Ohio | #428 | 19 | 1 in 3,697 |
| Maryland | #429 | 6 | 1 in 3,135 |
| New Jersey | #477 | 11 | 1 in 3,472 |
| Wisconsin | #484 | 5 | 1 in 5,375 |
| Washington | #498 | 5 | 1 in 3,757 |
| California | #744 | 20 | 1 in 6,540 |
| Pennsylvania | #832 | 6 | 1 in 11,259 |
| New York | #1,114 | 8 | 1 in 12,918 |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nebraska | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| 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
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 24 | #3,817 (1919) | #4,023 |
| 1920s | 147 | #1,772 (1926) | #2,576 |
| 1930s | 384 | #811 (1939) | #1,386 |
| 1940s | 4,013 | #269 (1949) | #454 |
| 1950s | 16,752 | #170 (1959) | #198 |
| 1960s | 18,444 | #173 (1962) | #193 |
| 1970s | 5,842 | #258 (1970) | #448 |
| 1980s | 1,353 | #759 (1980) | #1,135 |
| 1990s | 504 | #1,727 (1991) | #2,780 |
| 2000s | 190 | #4,321 (2001) | #6,803 |
| 2010s | 93 | #7,092 (2017) | #10,339 |
| 2020s | 34 | #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 1973
girls
#325
691 births · 1 in 2,110 girls
Top girls' names in 1973
More about 1973
girls
1,458,209 girls got a published name in 1973; 1 in 2,110 of them was named Shelia, which outranked 96.7% of the 9,810 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.7% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Shelia
Biggest movers since 1972
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.