Girls' name · since 1953
Shelita
966 babies named Shelita in U.S. Social Security records since 1953, with the highest year being 1974. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #7,698 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 966
- born since 1953
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shelita sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 966 recorded since 1953.
Social Security Administration records show Shelita recorded 966 times among girls since 1953, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1970s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1953 to 1994.
- #7,698 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 966 born since 1953
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shelita ranks #7,698 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 966 born since 1953, peaking in the 1970s.
- #7,698 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 966
- born since 1953
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shelita's 966 recorded births place it above 89.35% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by Louisiana.
Shelita's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shelita's full recorded timeline at 1974, 54% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 46% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1955, with just 6 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1974 peak of 56 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shelita popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1953–1994
- Peak year (1974)
- 56
- Annual births at peak, across 42 years of records
Shelita by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (440 births, 46% of the file).
1970s was Shelita's strongest decade.
440 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Shelita births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 47
1950s
47 births
- 1960s
1960s
223 births
- 1970s
1970s
440 births
- 1980s
1980s
210 births
- 1990s 46
1990s
46 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 440 births (46% of all-time use).
How Shelita 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 Shelita's total volume
Shelita by state
Where Shelita concentrates geographically, total births since 1953
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Louisiana | | 377 | 39.0% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 11 | 1.1% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 10 | 1.0% |
| #4 | Texas | | 5 | 0.5% |
377 of 966 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shelita? ▼
Where does Shelita sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shelita most popular? ▼
Where is Shelita most popular? ▼
How long has the name Shelita been used? ▼
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What to do with Shelita's data
- Shelita's decade-level peak was the 1970s (440 total births); usage has since declined to 46 in the 1990s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Louisiana records the most Shelitas (377 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Louisiana names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shelita
Nearby Names Like Shelita
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shelita
Compare Shelita side by side: Shelita vs Sheila Shelita vs Sherry Shelita 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 Shelita: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1974)
Similar record span (~41 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, 1953–1994 (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 Shelita 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.