Shaila
Shaila was the 5211th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 25 babies. Its best year was 2010, when it ranked 1041st with 241 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,714 places. More babies were named Shaila in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Shayla) Origin not documented
- Rank in 2025
- #5,211 girls, down 1,441 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 25girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2010241 babies
- Total since 1880
- 3,260babies recorded
What does the name Shaila mean?
Shaila is a spelling of Shayla, pronounced the same way, so it shares Shayla's meaning and origin.
Shayla is a modern American name with no documented etymology; Wiktionary's entry requests one. It looks like a blend of the sounds of names such as Shay (Shea) and Sheila, or Kayla and Layla, but this is not recorded. Note that shayla is also an Arabic word for a type of headscarf, which is unrelated. Shayla was most popular in the US in the late 1990s.
How sure is this? Not documented. No documented origin; blends with Shay, Sheila, Kayla or Layla are guesses.
Related names: Shaylee, Sheila, Shay, Kayla, Layla.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Shayla', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Shayla', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Shaila popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,211 | 25 |
| 2020 | #3,770 | 39 |
| 2010 | #1,041 | 241 |
| 2000 | #2,209 | 72 |
| 1990 | #2,788 | 42 |
| 1980 | #5,180 | 14 |
| 1970 | #5,732 | 9 |
| 1960 | #6,270 | 6 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Shaila, counting every spelling?
Shaila is a spelling of Shayla, a name family that ranked #1,066 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5,211 for Shaila on its own. Together these spellings went to 212 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shayla | 113 | #1,793 | 655 |
| Sheila | 65 | #2,686 | 506 |
| Shaila | 25 | #5,211 | 134 |
| Shaylah | — | — | 28 |
| Shaela | 9 | #10,785 | 25 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Shaila?
25 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Shaila (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Shaila born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 337 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Shaila.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Shaila?
About 3,200 people born in the US named Shaila are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 14 and 28. That makes Shaila mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Shaila by state
How common Shaila was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (2.2×). In 50 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Shaila: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Shaila, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Shaila
How popular is the name Shaila?
Shaila was the 5211th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 25 babies. Its best year was 2010, when it ranked 1041st with 241 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,714 places. More babies were named Shaila in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Shaila a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Shaila in the US.
Where is Shaila most popular?
In 2021–2025, Shaila was most common in California (0.04 per 1,000 girls).