Fun Facts About the Name Sheila
- A favorite of earlier generations: Sheila appeared in the U.S. top 100 in 2 separate runs, totaling 30 years. Its last run lasted 28 consecutive years, from 1945 through 1972.
- More than 239 thousand babies named Sheila: U.S. records list 239,419 babies given the name Sheila from 1880 through 2025. Even 648 boys received the name Sheila - about 1 boy for every 368 girls.
What Does the Name Sheila Mean?
Sheila is the English form of the Irish name Síle, which serves as the Irish equivalent of Cecilia. Cecilia goes back to the Latin family name Caecilius, usually connected with the Latin adjective caecus, "blind." The customary meaning of Sheila is therefore "blind." That link between Caecilius and caecus is the usual explanation rather than a settled fact; some have proposed an Etruscan origin for the Roman name, which would make "blind" a later association rather than the original sense.
Sheila Name History & Origins
Irish Síle is the Gaelic form of Cecilia, the name of a Roman martyr venerated from late antiquity onward. Because Saint Cecilia was widely honored in medieval Ireland, as elsewhere in Europe, the name took root in Irish, and English speakers in Ireland spelled it in various ways, among them Sheila, Sheela, and Sheelagh. Sheila therefore entered English through Irish rather than straight from Latin.
Síle also has a literary life in Irish. It appears as a woman's name in songs and poems, such as the Irish song "Síle Ní Ghadhra," and poets sometimes used Síle as a symbolic name for Ireland. The first element of sheela-na-gig, the term for certain carved female figures on medieval churches in Ireland and Britain, is generally connected with the same name, though the origin of the full term is not settled.
From Ireland the name traveled with emigrants to Britain, North America, and Australia, where it became an ordinary given name. In Australian English, "sheila" also developed as a slang word for a woman or girl, a usage generally traced to Irish speech.
How Popular is the Name Sheila?
Sheila ranked among the top 100 U.S. names from 1942 through 1943, then returned in 1945 and remained through 1972.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,686 | 65 | 0.0040% |
| 2024 | #2,024 | 97 | 0.0060% |
| 2023 | #1,941 | 102 | 0.0064% |
| 2022 | #1,665 | 127 | 0.0077% |
| 2021 | #1,778 | 115 | 0.0070% |
| 2020 | #1,604 | 131 | 0.0081% |
| 2019 | #2,104 | 90 | 0.0054% |
| 2018 | #2,044 | 96 | 0.0056% |
| 2017 | #1,940 | 104 | 0.0060% |
| 2016 | #1,826 | 114 | 0.0064% |
| 2015 | #1,708 | 124 | 0.0069% |
| 2014 | #1,420 | 161 | 0.0090% |
| 2013 | #1,523 | 145 | 0.0083% |
| 2012 | #1,527 | 145 | 0.0082% |
| 2011 | #1,291 | 183 | 0.0104% |
| 2010 | #1,283 | 186 | 0.0105% |
| 2009 | #1,395 | 170 | 0.0093% |
| 2008 | #1,149 | 224 | 0.0118% |
| 2007 | #990 | 271 | 0.0141% |
| 2006 | #941 | 279 | 0.0147% |
| 2005 | #1,018 | 240 | 0.0130% |
| 2004 | #803 | 315 | 0.0172% |
| 2003 | #819 | 303 | 0.0166% |
| 2002 | #723 | 340 | 0.0189% |
| 2001 | #658 | 383 | 0.0213% |
| 2000 | #689 | 343 | 0.0189% |
| 1999 | #653 | 353 | 0.0199% |
| 1998 | #663 | 348 | 0.0197% |
| 1997 | #699 | 309 | 0.0178% |
| 1996 | #606 | 378 | 0.0216% |
| 1995 | #583 | 395 | 0.0225% |
| 1994 | #563 | 419 | 0.0235% |
| 1993 | #464 | 543 | 0.0300% |
| 1992 | #401 | 642 | 0.0348% |
| 1991 | #406 | 633 | 0.0338% |
| 1990 | #413 | 626 | 0.0330% |
| 1989 | #385 | 658 | 0.0357% |
| 1988 | #349 | 711 | 0.0399% |
| 1987 | #306 | 800 | 0.0460% |
| 1986 | #261 | 979 | 0.0571% |
| 1985 | #251 | 1,012 | 0.0588% |
| 1984 | #267 | 908 | 0.0539% |
| 1983 | #249 | 946 | 0.0566% |
| 1982 | #231 | 1,099 | 0.0649% |
| 1981 | #217 | 1,214 | 0.0728% |
| 1980 | #214 | 1,214 | 0.0731% |
| 1979 | #195 | 1,369 | 0.0853% |
| 1978 | #184 | 1,414 | 0.0923% |
| 1977 | #163 | 1,656 | 0.1080% |
| 1976 | #143 | 1,871 | 0.1277% |
| 1975 | #134 | 2,099 | 0.1440% |
| 1974 | #121 | 2,438 | 0.1661% |
| 1973 | #101 | 2,999 | 0.2057% |
| 1972 | #90 | 3,394 | 0.2231% |
| 1971 | #81 | 4,333 | 0.2604% |
| 1970 | #75 | 4,937 | 0.2824% |
| 1969 | #68 | 5,245 | 0.3109% |
| 1968 | #59 | 5,730 | 0.3493% |
| 1967 | #56 | 6,326 | 0.3832% |
| 1966 | #51 | 7,208 | 0.4260% |
| 1965 | #50 | 7,902 | 0.4477% |
| 1964 | #51 | 8,473 | 0.4472% |
| 1963 | #50 | 8,706 | 0.4517% |
| 1962 | #52 | 8,777 | 0.4463% |
| 1961 | #59 | 7,800 | 0.3865% |
| 1960 | #56 | 7,908 | 0.3911% |
| 1959 | #52 | 7,985 | 0.3946% |
| 1958 | #59 | 7,289 | 0.3623% |
| 1957 | #58 | 7,764 | 0.3797% |
| 1956 | #55 | 7,872 | 0.3921% |
| 1955 | #57 | 7,661 | 0.3918% |
| 1954 | #60 | 7,202 | 0.3709% |
| 1953 | #60 | 6,964 | 0.3702% |
| 1952 | #64 | 6,218 | 0.3353% |
| 1951 | #69 | 5,897 | 0.3275% |
| 1950 | #70 | 5,322 | 0.3107% |
| 1949 | #76 | 4,774 | 0.2790% |
| 1948 | #71 | 5,022 | 0.2958% |
| 1947 | #73 | 5,095 | 0.2874% |
| 1946 | #70 | 4,706 | 0.2995% |
| 1945 | #89 | 3,178 | 0.2431% |
| 1944 | #103 | 2,665 | 0.2008% |
| 1943 | #92 | 3,063 | 0.2195% |
| 1942 | #94 | 2,973 | 0.2201% |
| 1941 | #110 | 2,341 | 0.1938% |
| 1940 | #130 | 1,923 | 0.1682% |
| 1939 | #125 | 1,957 | 0.1785% |
| 1938 | #136 | 1,784 | 0.1617% |
| 1937 | #142 | 1,573 | 0.1478% |
| 1936 | #157 | 1,312 | 0.1261% |
| 1935 | #151 | 1,326 | 0.1265% |
| 1934 | #222 | 781 | 0.0748% |
| 1933 | #226 | 737 | 0.0731% |
| 1932 | #251 | 609 | 0.0571% |
| 1931 | #266 | 538 | 0.0505% |
| 1930 | #364 | 341 | 0.0303% |
| 1929 | #368 | 332 | 0.0297% |
| 1928 | #434 | 242 | 0.0210% |
| 1927 | #456 | 233 | 0.0195% |
| 1926 | #479 | 210 | 0.0177% |
| 1925 | #478 | 214 | 0.0176% |
| 1924 | #576 | 162 | 0.0130% |
| 1923 | #626 | 139 | 0.0115% |
| 1922 | #664 | 120 | 0.0100% |
| 1921 | #707 | 110 | 0.0089% |
| 1920 | #767 | 91 | 0.0076% |
| 1919 | #841 | 69 | 0.0061% |
| 1918 | #824 | 76 | 0.0066% |
| 1917 | #902 | 59 | 0.0055% |
| 1916 | #1,039 | 45 | 0.0043% |
| 1915 | #1,039 | 42 | 0.0043% |
| 1914 | #1,096 | 31 | 0.0041% |
| 1913 | #1,398 | 18 | 0.0029% |
| 1912 | #1,214 | 20 | 0.0036% |
| 1911 | #1,067 | 18 | 0.0043% |
| 1910 | #1,614 | 10 | 0.0025% |
| 1909 | #1,204 | 13 | 0.0037% |
| 1908 | #1,340 | 11 | 0.0033% |
| 1907 | #1,492 | 9 | 0.0028% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | #6,129 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1988 | #6,318 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1986 | #6,603 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1983 | #7,173 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1982 | #6,280 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #5,406 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1980 | #7,139 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #6,930 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1978 | #4,976 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1977 | #4,520 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1976 | #3,235 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1975 | #4,250 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1974 | #3,297 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1973 | #3,655 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1972 | #3,569 | 9 | 0.0006% |
| 1971 | #2,666 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1970 | #3,246 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1969 | #2,207 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1968 | #2,097 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1967 | #1,501 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 1966 | #2,030 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1965 | #1,480 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1964 | #1,890 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1963 | #1,783 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1962 | #1,475 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 1961 | #1,936 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1960 | #1,851 | 20 | 0.0009% |
| 1959 | #1,754 | 22 | 0.0010% |
| 1958 | #1,886 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1957 | #2,009 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1956 | #1,938 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1955 | #3,465 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1954 | #2,197 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1953 | #1,948 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1952 | #2,240 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1951 | #2,236 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1950 | #2,011 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1949 | #2,320 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1948 | #2,593 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1947 | #2,343 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1946 | #2,887 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1945 | #2,962 | 7 | 0.0005% |
| 1944 | #1,877 | 15 | 0.0011% |
| 1943 | #2,171 | 13 | 0.0009% |
| 1942 | #2,134 | 13 | 0.0009% |
| 1939 | #2,794 | 8 | 0.0007% |
| 1938 | #2,307 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1937 | #2,183 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1936 | #3,110 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1935 | #3,596 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1934 | #3,622 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1929 | #4,460 | 5 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Sheila
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
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How the Name Sheila Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are spiritually intense and can sting or charm. Your name brings love and new starts into life and attracts money. In business, you are the creator and promoter of original ideas and usually enjoy considerable financial success. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Sheila's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Sheila's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.