Total births
238,774
Girls' name · since 1907
Sheila
Since 1907, U.S. Social Security records show 238,774 babies named Sheila, peaking in 1962. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #2013
- among girls today
- 238,774
- born since 1907
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Sheila is the #2013 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 238,774 recorded since 1907.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sheila has been recorded 238,774 times among girls since 1907, currently ranked #2013 nationally and more common than 89% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1907 to 2025.
- #2013 among girls today
- 238,774 born since 1907
- 1960s peak decade
- 89% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sheila is currently the #2013 girls' name in America, more common than 89% of girls - 238,774 born since 1907, peaking in the 1960s.
- #2013
- among girls today
- 238,774
- born since 1907
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 89%
- more common than other girls
Sheila vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#2013
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 89% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Sheila was born in this single decade.
1962
Single peak year
8,778 babies were named Sheila in 1962 - its busiest year on record.
How Sheila compares
238,774 Top 1% higher than 99% 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
Sheila's all-time total is 625x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sheila | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 238,774 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 8,778 | 48 | 19,840 |
Sheila's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Sheila splits its recorded history at 1966: 29% of all births land in the more recent half, 71% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1907 (9 births) -- compare that against the 1962 peak of 8,778 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Sheila at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1962
Current rank
#2,013
Active since
1907
Sheila popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1907–2025
- Peak year (1962)
- 8,778
- Annual births at peak, across 119 years of records
Sheila popularity over time - boys
648 total births recorded since 1929 (Sheila as boys' name)
Sheila by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Sheila's strongest decade.
74,078 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Sheila births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 33
1900s
33 births
- 1910s 388
1910s
388 births
- 1920s 1,853
1920s
1,853 births
- 1930s 10,958
1930s
10,958 births
- 1940s
1940s
35,740 births
- 1950s
1950s
70,174 births
- 1960s
1960s
74,078 births
- 1970s 26,509
1970s
26,509 births
- 1980s 9,541
1980s
9,541 births
- 1990s 4,646
1990s
4,646 births
- 2000s 2,868
2000s
2,868 births
- 2010s 1,349
2010s
1,349 births
- 2020s 637
2020s
637 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 74,078 births (31% of all-time use).
How Sheila 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 Sheila's total volume
Sheila vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Sheila by state
Where Sheila concentrates geographically, total births since 1907
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 21,436 | 9.0% |
| #2 | California | | 16,628 | 7.0% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 13,597 | 5.7% |
| #4 | Texas | | 11,779 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 11,547 | 4.8% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 10,309 | 4.3% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 9,836 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 8,851 | 3.7% |
New York share of Sheila's total US births 9.0%
Even split
21,436 of 238,774 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Sheila appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sheila? ▼
238,774 babies have been named Sheila since 1907. It currently ranks #2013 among girls. The peak year was 1962 with 8,778 births.
When was Sheila most popular? ▼
Sheila was most popular in the 1960s decade with 74,078 total births. The single peak year was 1962.
Where is Sheila most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sheila are New York (21,436 births), California (16,628 births), Illinois (13,597 births).
How long has the name Sheila been used? ▼
Records for Sheila go back to 1907, giving 119 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Sheila? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sherry, Shelby, Shelly, Sherri, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Sheila's data
- Sheila's decade-level peak was the 1960s (74,078 total births); usage has since declined to 637 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Sheilas (21,436 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York 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 Sheila
Nearby Names Like Sheila
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sheila
Sherry Girl
#6948 229,937 births
Shelby Girl
#658 148,830 births
Shelly Girl
#4580 84,420 births
Sherri Girl
#8493 83,667 births
Sheryl Girl
#5322 78,826 births
Compare Sheila side by side: Sheila vs Sherry Sheila vs Shelby Sheila vs Shelly
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sheila
Gina #2012
153,057 births · Peak 1967
Evelin #2014
7,425 births · Peak 2006
Lenore #2011
22,968 births · Peak 1926
Nicolette #2015
17,129 births · Peak 1994
Dalett #2010
682 births · Peak 2021
Ellia #2016
1,773 births · Peak 2017
Esmae #2009
1,527 births · Peak 2022
Bobbi #2017
24,216 births · Peak 1971
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, 1907–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sheila: #2013 Girls' Name - 238,774 Births, Peak 1962." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sheila. 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 Sheila 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.