Total births
510
Girls' name · since 1935
Shelah
Shelah has 510 recorded births since 1935 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1974 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- 510
- total births
- 1935–2008
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
Shelah sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 510 recorded since 1935.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shelah has been recorded 510 times among girls since 1935, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, 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 1935 to 2008.
- 510 total births
- 1935–2008 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 21% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
510 girls have been named Shelah since 1935, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 2008.
- 510
- total births
- 1935–2008
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 21%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Shelah was born in this single decade.
1974
Single peak year
15 babies were named Shelah in 1974 - its busiest year on record.
Shelah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Shelah's SSA record in two at 1969 and the more recent half accounts for 49% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 51%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1935, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1974 peak of 15, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Shelah at a glance
Last recorded 2008Peak year
1974
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1935
Shelah popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1935–2008
- Peak year (1974)
- 15
- Annual births at peak, across 74 years of records
Shelah by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Shelah's strongest decade.
107 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Shelah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s
1940s
68 births
- 1950s
1950s
90 births
- 1960s
1960s
107 births
- 1970s
1970s
102 births
- 1980s
1980s
85 births
- 1990s
1990s
48 births
- 2000s 5
2000s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 107 births (21% of all-time use).
How Shelah 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 Shelah's total volume
Shelah vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shelah? ▼
510 babies have been named Shelah since 1935. It was last recorded in 2008. The peak year was 1974 with 15 births.
When was Shelah most popular? ▼
Shelah was most popular in the 1960s decade with 107 total births. The single peak year was 1974.
How long has the name Shelah been used? ▼
Records for Shelah go back to 1935, giving 74 years of history through 2008.
What names are similar to Shelah? ▼
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 Shelah's data
- Shelah's decade-level peak was the 1960s (107 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- 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 Shelah
Nearby Names Like Shelah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shelah
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 Shelah side by side: Shelah vs Sheila Shelah vs Sherry Shelah 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, 1935–2008 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shelah: Baby Name Since 1935 - 510 Births, Peak 1974." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shelah. 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 Shelah 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.