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.
- #2,796 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 4,408
- born since 1908
- 1960s
- peak 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.
- #2,796 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 4,408 born since 1908
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shiela ranks #2,796 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 4,408 born since 1908, peaking in the 1960s.
- #2,796 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 4,408
- born since 1908
- 1960s
- peak decade
Shiela's 4,408 recorded births place it above 96.13% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
31 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by California.
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 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
1960s is the heaviest window (1,355 births, 31% of the file).
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 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% |
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? ▼
Where does Shiela sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shiela most popular? ▼
Where is Shiela most popular? ▼
How long has the name Shiela been used? ▼
What names are similar to Shiela? ▼
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
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
Compare Shiela side by side: Shiela vs Shirley Shiela vs Shiloh Shiela vs Shira
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shiela: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1970)
Similar record span (~93 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, 1908–2001 (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 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 August 2026.