Total births
510
Girls' name · since 1942
Shelagh
Since 1942, U.S. Social Security records show 510 babies named Shelagh, peaking in 1950. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 510
- total births
- 1942–1999
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 35%
- born in that decade
Shelagh is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 510 have been recorded since 1942.
Shelagh has 510 recorded births among girls since 1942, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1942 to 1999.
- 510 total births
- 1942–1999 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 35% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
510 girls have been named Shelagh since 1942, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 1999.
- 510
- total births
- 1942–1999
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 35%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Shelagh was born in this single decade.
1950
Single peak year
22 babies were named Shelagh in 1950 - its busiest year on record.
Shelagh's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shelagh's full recorded timeline at 1969, 40% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 60% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1946, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1950 peak of 22 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shelagh at a glance
Last recorded 1999Peak year
1950
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1942
Shelagh popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1942–1999
- Peak year (1950)
- 22
- Annual births at peak, across 58 years of records
Shelagh by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Shelagh's strongest decade.
178 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Shelagh births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 36
1940s
36 births
- 1950s
1950s
114 births
- 1960s
1960s
178 births
- 1970s
1970s
80 births
- 1980s 64
1980s
64 births
- 1990s 38
1990s
38 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 178 births (35% of all-time use).
How Shelagh 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 Shelagh's total volume
Shelagh vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shelagh by state
Where Shelagh concentrates geographically, total births since 1942
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Massachusetts | | 34 | 6.7% |
Massachusetts share of Shelagh's total US births 6.7%
34 of 510 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shelagh? ▼
Since 1942, Social Security records show 510 babies named Shelagh. The most recent recorded year was 1999. Its busiest year on record was 1950, with 22 births.
When was Shelagh most popular? ▼
Shelagh was most popular in the 1960s decade with 178 total births. The single peak year was 1950.
Where is Shelagh most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shelagh are Massachusetts (34 births).
How long has the name Shelagh been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Shelagh since 1942 -- 58 years through the most recent 1999 data.
What names are similar to Shelagh? ▼
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 Shelagh's data
- Shelagh's decade-level peak was the 1960s (178 total births); usage has since declined to 38 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Massachusetts records the most Shelaghs (34 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Massachusetts 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 Shelagh
Nearby Names Like Shelagh
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shelagh
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 Shelagh side by side: Shelagh vs Sheila Shelagh vs Sherry Shelagh vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1942–1999 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shelagh: Baby Name Since 1942 - 510 Births, Peak 1950." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shelagh. 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 Shelagh 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 July 2026.