Shelia
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- SHEE-la
- Origin
- Latin
Shelia is a girls' name of Latin origin, meaning “blind”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Shelia mean?
Latin: spelling of Sheila, the Irish form of Cecilia
“blind”
Sheila anglicises Irish Síle, from Cecilia; in Australia sheila became slang for a woman.
Is Shelia a girl's or a boy's name?
Shelia is a girls' name.
How popular is Shelia in the US?
No girls in the US were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 1959, with 2,283 girls. It first appears in the records in 1915.
Half of all the girls named Shelia in the US since 1880 were born between 1955 and 1967, the years shaded on the chart below.
Shelia in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7 | #12,192 |
| 2022 | 7 | #12,237 |
| 2021 | 9 | #10,287 |
| 2020 | 11 | #8,948 |
| 2019 | 7 | #12,442 |
| 2018 | 0 | – |
| 2017 | 16 | #7,088 |
| 2016 | 12 | #8,872 |
| 2015 | 11 | #9,476 |
| 2014 | 10 | #10,124 |
| 2013 | 8 | #11,964 |
| 2012 | 8 | #12,193 |
| 2011 | 8 | #12,146 |
| 2010 | 13 | #8,697 |
| 2009 | 19 | #6,808 |
| 2008 | 12 | #9,472 |
| 2007 | 12 | #9,535 |
| 2006 | 16 | #7,480 |
| 2005 | 13 | #8,325 |
| 2004 | 28 | #4,703 |
| 2003 | 14 | #7,575 |
| 2002 | 22 | #5,250 |
| 2001 | 28 | #4,317 |
| 2000 | 26 | #4,522 |
| 1999 | 27 | #4,197 |
| 1998 | 32 | #3,645 |
| 1997 | 34 | #3,362 |
| 1996 | 36 | #3,232 |
| 1995 | 40 | #2,927 |
| 1994 | 55 | #2,348 |
| 1993 | 53 | #2,375 |
| 1992 | 61 | #2,186 |
| 1991 | 84 | #1,721 |
| 1990 | 82 | #1,765 |
| 1989 | 83 | #1,647 |
| 1988 | 100 | #1,399 |
| 1987 | 106 | #1,301 |
| 1986 | 129 | #1,122 |
| 1985 | 124 | #1,149 |
| 1984 | 131 | #1,067 |
| 1983 | 121 | #1,114 |
| 1982 | 168 | #900 |
| 1981 | 173 | #882 |
| 1980 | 218 | #759 |
| 1979 | 228 | #728 |
| 1978 | 251 | #646 |
| 1977 | 284 | #599 |
| 1976 | 339 | #524 |
| 1975 | 450 | #441 |
| 1974 | 567 | #377 |
| 1973 | 691 | #325 |
| 1972 | 803 | #304 |
| 1971 | 1,037 | #276 |
| 1970 | 1,192 | #258 |
| 1969 | 1,304 | #232 |
| 1968 | 1,358 | #219 |
| 1967 | 1,476 | #208 |
| 1966 | 1,806 | #181 |
| 1965 | 1,892 | #182 |
| 1964 | 2,012 | #186 |
| 1963 | 2,064 | #185 |
| 1962 | 2,271 | #173 |
| 1961 | 2,005 | #189 |
| 1960 | 2,256 | #177 |
| 1959 | 2,283 | #170 |
| 1958 | 2,091 | #180 |
| 1957 | 2,093 | #180 |
| 1956 | 1,946 | #183 |
| 1955 | 1,837 | #181 |
| 1954 | 1,665 | #190 |
| 1953 | 1,484 | #204 |
| 1952 | 1,236 | #223 |
| 1951 | 1,160 | #223 |
| 1950 | 957 | #242 |
| 1949 | 821 | #269 |
| 1948 | 795 | #274 |
| 1947 | 744 | #283 |
| 1946 | 550 | #315 |
| 1945 | 305 | #406 |
| 1944 | 219 | #484 |
| 1943 | 215 | #509 |
| 1942 | 152 | #603 |
| 1941 | 130 | #620 |
| 1940 | 82 | #780 |
| 1939 | 72 | #811 |
| 1938 | 64 | #875 |
| 1937 | 59 | #896 |
| 1936 | 44 | #1,053 |
| 1935 | 43 | #1,055 |
| 1934 | 20 | #1,697 |
| 1933 | 27 | #1,400 |
| 1932 | 23 | #1,597 |
| 1931 | 22 | #1,634 |
| 1930 | 10 | #2,844 |
| 1929 | 14 | #2,300 |
| 1928 | 18 | #2,022 |
| 1927 | 16 | #2,255 |
| 1926 | 23 | #1,771 |
| 1925 | 22 | #1,846 |
| 1924 | 15 | #2,408 |
| 1923 | 11 | #2,916 |
| 1922 | 13 | #2,611 |
| 1921 | 8 | #3,665 |
| 1920 | 7 | #3,955 |
| 1919 | 7 | #3,815 |
| 1918 | 0 | – |
| 1917 | 6 | #4,081 |
| 1916 | 6 | #3,917 |
| 1915 | 5 | #4,272 |
Names like Shelia
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Paula Julie Sonia Sylvia Linda Gloria Robin Diana Cynthia Valerie Penny Claudia
Names related to Shelia
More Latin names
Oliver Olivia Leo Roman Aurora Emily Florence Mabel Luna Nora Rosie Emilia Max Nova Lucy Julian
Sources
Figures from Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Shelia: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/shelia, updated 20 October 2026.