Girls' name · since 1943
Sheela
Since 1943, U.S. Social Security records show 679 babies named Sheela, peaking in 1988. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #9,702 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 679
- born since 1943
- 1980s
- peak decade
Sheela sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 679 recorded since 1943.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sheela has been recorded 679 times among girls since 1943, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1943 to 2015.
- #9,702 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 679 born since 1943
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sheela ranks #9,702 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 679 born since 1943, peaking in the 1980s.
- #9,702 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 679
- born since 1943
- 1980s
- peak decade
Sheela's 679 recorded births place it above 86.58% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 2 jurisdictions, led by California.
Sheela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Sheela's full recorded timeline at 1973, 56% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 44% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1955, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1988 peak of 27 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Sheela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1943–2015
- Peak year (1988)
- 27
- Annual births at peak, across 73 years of records
Sheela by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (183 births, 27% of the file).
1980s was Sheela's strongest decade.
183 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Sheela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 43
1940s
43 births
- 1950s
1950s
105 births
- 1960s
1960s
115 births
- 1970s
1970s
138 births
- 1980s
1980s
183 births
- 1990s
1990s
74 births
- 2000s 16
2000s
16 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 183 births (27% of all-time use).
How Sheela 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 Sheela's total volume
Sheela by state
Where Sheela concentrates geographically, total births since 1943
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 42 | 6.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 6 | 0.9% |
42 of 679 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sheela? ▼
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What to do with Sheela's data
- Sheela's decade-level peak was the 1980s (183 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Sheelas (42 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sheela
Nearby Names Like Sheela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sheela
Compare Sheela side by side: Sheela vs Sheila Sheela vs Sherry Sheela vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Sheela: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1988)
Similar record span (~72 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1943–2015 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Sheela 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 August 2026.