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.
- #11,707 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 510
- born since 1942
- 1960s
- peak 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.
- #11,707 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 510 born since 1942
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shelagh ranks #11,707 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 510 born since 1942, peaking in the 1960s.
- #11,707 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 510
- born since 1942
- 1960s
- peak decade
Shelagh's 510 recorded births place it above 83.81% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by Massachusetts.
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 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
1960s is the heaviest window (178 births, 35% of the file).
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 by state
Where Shelagh concentrates geographically, total births since 1942
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Massachusetts | | 34 | 6.7% |
34 of 510 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shelagh? ▼
Where does Shelagh sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shelagh most popular? ▼
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How long has the name Shelagh been used? ▼
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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
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
Compare Shelagh side by side: Shelagh vs Sheila Shelagh vs Sherry Shelagh 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 Shelagh: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1950)
Similar record span (~57 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, 1942–1999 (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 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 August 2026.