Total births
12,565
Unisex name · since 1950
Shea
12,565 babies named Shea in U.S. Social Security records since 1950, with the highest year being 2005. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #1188
- among girls today
- 12,565
- born since 1950
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Shea is the #1188 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 12,565 recorded since 1950.
Shea has 12,565 recorded births among girls since 1950, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1188 as of the latest data, more common than 93% of girls, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1950 to 2025.
- #1188 among girls today
- 12,565 born since 1950
- 2000s peak decade
- 93% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shea is currently the #1188 unisex name in America, more common than 93% of girls - 12,565 born since 1950, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1188
- among girls today
- 12,565
- born since 1950
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Shea vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1188
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 93% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
24% of everyone ever named Shea was born in this single decade.
2005
Single peak year
348 babies were named Shea in 2005 - its busiest year on record.
How Shea compares
12,565 Top 8% higher than 92% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Shea's all-time total is 33x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shea | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 12,565 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 348 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shea's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shea splits its recorded history at 1989: 74% of all births land in the more recent half, 26% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1953 (6 births) -- compare that against the 2005 peak of 348 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shea at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2005
Current rank
#1,188
Active since
1950
Shea popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1950–2025
- Peak year (2005)
- 348
- Annual births at peak, across 76 years of records
Shea popularity over time - boys
8,537 total births recorded since 1954 (Shea as boys' name)
Shea by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Shea's strongest decade.
3,056 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 24% of all-time use.
Shea births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 64
1950s
64 births
- 1960s 292
1960s
292 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,277 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,832 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,747 births
- 2000s
2000s
3,056 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,954 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,343 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 3,056 births (24% of all-time use).
How Shea compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Shea's total volume
Shea vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shea by state
Where Shea concentrates geographically, total births since 1950
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,208 | 9.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 861 | 6.9% |
| #3 | New York | | 856 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 585 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 551 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Florida | | 545 | 4.3% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 517 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 492 | 3.9% |
California share of Shea's total US births 9.6%
Even split
1,208 of 12,565 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 42 reporting states.
Shea appears in 42 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shea? ▼
Since 1950, Social Security records show 12,565 babies named Shea. Today it holds rank #1188 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2005, with 348 births.
When was Shea most popular? ▼
Shea was most popular in the 2000s decade with 3,056 total births. The single peak year was 2005.
Where is Shea most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shea are California (1,208 births), Texas (861 births), New York (856 births).
Is Shea a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Shea is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 12,565 births, and as a boy's name it has 8,537 births.
How long has the name Shea been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Shea since 1950 -- 76 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Shea? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sheila, Sherry, Shelby, Shelly, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Shea's data
- Shea's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (3,056 total births) through the 2020s (1,343) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Sheas (1,208 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shea
Nearby Names Like Shea
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shea
Sheila Girl
#2013 238,774 births
Sherry Girl
#6948 229,937 births
Shelby Girl
#658 148,830 births
Shelly Girl
#4580 84,420 births
Sherri Girl
#8493 83,667 births
Compare Shea side by side: Shea vs Sheila Shea vs Sherry Shea vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shea
Korra #1187
2,135 births · Peak 2021
Asha #1189
9,069 births · Peak 2000
Jalani #1186
1,676 births · Peak 2025
Maelyn #1190
2,490 births · Peak 2024
Vivianna #1185
4,798 births · Peak 2023
Zia #1191
3,228 births · Peak 2024
Viola #1184
132,993 births · Peak 1918
Landry #1192
5,842 births · Peak 2018
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1950–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shea: #1188 Unisex Name - 12,565 Births, Peak 2005." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shea. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Shea draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.