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.
- #6,893 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,129
- born since 1909
- 1960s
- peak decade
Shella is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 1,129 have been recorded since 1909.
Shella has 1,129 recorded births among girls since 1909, 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 1909 to 2024.
- #6,893 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 1,129 born since 1909
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shella ranks #6,893 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,129 born since 1909, peaking in the 1960s.
- #6,893 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,129
- born since 1909
- 1960s
- peak decade
Shella's 1,129 recorded births place it above 90.47% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
7 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Kentucky.
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 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
1960s is the heaviest window (303 births, 27% of the file).
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 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% |
11 of 1,129 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shella? ▼
Where does Shella sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shella most popular? ▼
Where is Shella most popular? ▼
How long has the name Shella been used? ▼
What names are similar to Shella? ▼
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
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
Compare Shella side by side: Shella vs Sheila Shella vs Sherry Shella 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 Shella: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1959)
Similar record span (~115 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, 1909–2024 (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 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 August 2026.