Sheila
Sheila was the 2686th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 65 babies. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked 50th; the most babies were born in 1962 (8,778). Over the last ten years it has moved down 978 places. More babies were named Sheila in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Shayla) Origin not documented
- Rank in 2025
- #2,686 girls, down 1,081 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 65girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19628,778 babies
- Total since 1880
- 239,422babies recorded
What does the name Sheila mean?
Sheila 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)
Sheila popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 648 since 1929.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,686 | 65 |
| 2020 | #1,605 | 131 |
| 2010 | #1,283 | 186 |
| 2000 | #689 | 343 |
| 1990 | #413 | 626 |
| 1980 | #214 | 1,214 |
| 1970 | #75 | 4,937 |
| 1960 | #56 | 7,905 |
| 1950 | #70 | 5,322 |
| 1940 | #130 | 1,923 |
| 1930 | #364 | 341 |
| 1920 | #767 | 91 |
| 1910 | #1,614 | 10 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Sheila, counting every spelling?
Sheila is a spelling of Shayla, a name family that ranked #1,066 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #2,686 for Sheila 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 Sheila?
65 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Sheila (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Sheila 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 129 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Sheila.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Sheila?
About 187,300 people born in the US named Sheila are alive today, with a median age of 64; half are between 57 and 72. That makes Sheila a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Sheila by state
How common Sheila was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (1.9×), New York (1.7×). In 41 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 Sheila: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Sheila, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Sheila
How popular is the name Sheila?
Sheila was the 2686th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 65 babies. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked 50th; the most babies were born in 1962 (8,778). Over the last ten years it has moved down 978 places. More babies were named Sheila in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Sheila a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Sheila in the US.
Where is Sheila most popular?
In 2021–2025, Sheila was most common in New Jersey (0.12 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and Florida.