Total births
1,129
Girls' name · since 1909
Shella
Since 1909, U.S. Social Security records show 1,129 babies named Shella, peaking in 1959. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #13557
- among girls today
- 1,129
- born since 1909
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 24%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Shella is the #13557 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 1,129 recorded since 1909.
Shella has 1,129 recorded births among girls since 1909, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #13557 as of the latest data, more common than 24% of girls, 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 1909 to 2024.
- #13557 among girls today
- 1,129 born since 1909
- 1960s peak decade
- 24% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shella is currently the #13557 girls' name in America, more common than 24% of girls - 1,129 born since 1909, peaking in the 1960s.
- #13557
- among girls today
- 1,129
- born since 1909
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 24%
- more common than other girls
Shella vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#13557
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 24% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
27% of everyone ever named Shella was born in this single decade.
1959
Single peak year
42 babies were named Shella in 1959 - its busiest year on record.
How Shella compares
1,129 Top 30% higher than 70% 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
Shella's all-time total is 196% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shella | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,129 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 42 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shella's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Shella's SSA record in two at 1965 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 1921, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1959 peak of 42, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Shella at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1959
Current rank
#13,557
Active since
1909
Shella popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2024
- Peak year (1959)
- 42
- Annual births at peak, across 116 years of records
Shella by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Shella's strongest decade.
303 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 27% of all-time use.
Shella births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 6
1900s
6 births
- 1910s 14
1910s
14 births
- 1920s 28
1920s
28 births
- 1930s 43
1930s
43 births
- 1940s 81
1940s
81 births
- 1950s
1950s
241 births
- 1960s
1960s
303 births
- 1970s
1970s
205 births
- 1980s 116
1980s
116 births
- 1990s 69
1990s
69 births
- 2000s 11
2000s
11 births
- 2010s 6
2010s
6 births
- 2020s 6
2020s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 303 births (27% of all-time use).
How Shella 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 Shella's total volume
Shella vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shella by state
Where Shella concentrates geographically, total births since 1909
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Kentucky | | 11 | 1.0% |
| #2 | Ohio | | 10 | 0.9% |
| #3 | Texas | | 10 | 0.9% |
| #4 | California | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #6 | New York | | 6 | 0.5% |
| #7 | Florida | | 5 | 0.4% |
Kentucky share of Shella's total US births 1.0%
Even split
11 of 1,129 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shella? ▼
Shella has been given to 1,129 babies in the U.S. since 1909, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #13557 as of the latest data. 42 babies were born in 1959, its single highest year.
When was Shella most popular? ▼
Shella was most popular in the 1960s decade with 303 total births. The single peak year was 1959.
Where is Shella most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shella are Kentucky (11 births), Ohio (10 births), Texas (10 births).
How long has the name Shella been used? ▼
Records for Shella go back to 1909, giving 116 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Shella? ▼
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 Shella's data
- Shella's decade-level peak was the 1960s (303 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Kentucky records the most Shellas (11 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Kentucky 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 Shella
Nearby Names Like Shella
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shella
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 Shella side by side: Shella vs Sheila Shella vs Sherry Shella vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shella
Inola #13556
155 births · Peak 1920
Elvy #13558
116 births · Peak 1920
Lanelle #13555
1,548 births · Peak 1924
Estoria #13559
90 births · Peak 1924
Ivalee #13554
389 births · Peak 1929
Bunnie #13560
800 births · Peak 1953
Giuseppina #13553
798 births · Peak 1975
Evalene #13561
414 births · Peak 1921
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, 1909–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shella: #13557 Girls' Name - 1,129 Births, Peak 1959." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shella. 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 Shella 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.