Total births
4,408
Girls' name · since 1908
Shiela
Since 1908, U.S. Social Security records show 4,408 babies named Shiela, peaking in 1970. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 4,408
- total births
- 1908–2001
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
Shiela is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 4,408 have been recorded since 1908.
Shiela has 4,408 recorded births among girls since 1908, 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 1908 to 2001.
- 4,408 total births
- 1908–2001 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 31% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
4,408 girls have been named Shiela since 1908, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 2001.
- 4,408
- total births
- 1908–2001
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 31%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Shiela was born in this single decade.
1970
Single peak year
216 babies were named Shiela in 1970 - its busiest year on record.
Shiela's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shiela's full recorded timeline at 1961, 59% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 41% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1915, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1970 peak of 216 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shiela at a glance
Last recorded 2001Peak year
1970
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1908
Shiela popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1908–2001
- Peak year (1970)
- 216
- Annual births at peak, across 94 years of records
Shiela by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Shiela's strongest decade.
1,355 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Shiela births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 7
1900s
7 births
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 50
1920s
50 births
- 1930s 160
1930s
160 births
- 1940s 535
1940s
535 births
- 1950s
1950s
940 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,355 births
- 1970s
1970s
906 births
- 1980s 300
1980s
300 births
- 1990s 135
1990s
135 births
- 2000s 15
2000s
15 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 1,355 births (31% of all-time use).
How Shiela 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 Shiela's total volume
Shiela vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shiela by state
Where Shiela concentrates geographically, total births since 1908
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 449 | 10.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 169 | 3.8% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 132 | 3.0% |
| #4 | New York | | 127 | 2.9% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 118 | 2.7% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 85 | 1.9% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 83 | 1.9% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 76 | 1.7% |
California share of Shiela's total US births 10.2%
Even split
449 of 4,408 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 31 reporting states.
Shiela appears in 31 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shiela? ▼
Shiela has been given to 4,408 babies in the U.S. since 1908, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2001. 216 babies were born in 1970, its single highest year.
When was Shiela most popular? ▼
Shiela was most popular in the 1960s decade with 1,355 total births. The single peak year was 1970.
Where is Shiela most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shiela are California (449 births), Texas (169 births), Ohio (132 births).
How long has the name Shiela been used? ▼
Records for Shiela go back to 1908, giving 94 years of history through 2001.
What names are similar to Shiela? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shirley, Shiloh, Shira, Shirlee, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Shiela's data
- Shiela's decade-level peak was the 1960s (1,355 total births); usage has since declined to 15 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shielas (449 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Shiela
Nearby Names Like Shiela
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shiela
Shirley Girl
#1452 686,383 births
Shiloh Girl
#260 15,117 births
Shira Girl
#2334 5,815 births
Shirlee Girl
#15433 5,709 births
Shirlene Girl
4,856 births
Compare Shiela side by side: Shiela vs Shirley Shiela vs Shiloh Shiela vs Shira
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1908–2001 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shiela: Baby Name Since 1908 - 4,408 Births, Peak 1970." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shiela. 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 Shiela 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.