Shea
The Story of Shea
As a girl name
Shea first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1950, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2005, when 348 Sheas were born — ranking #763 that year. As of 2026, Shea ranks #1,115 for girls with 218 births, gradually rising (+9%). In total, more than 13K Sheas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Shea first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1954, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1986, when 280 Sheas were born — ranking #529 that year. As of 2026, Shea ranks #1,432 for boys with 130 births, holding steady (+5%). In total, more than 9K Sheas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shea
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shea is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Shea
What does the name Shea mean?
How popular is Shea in 2026?
When was Shea most popular?
In which U.S. states is Shea most popular?
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About the name Shea
Shea is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1950 and has accumulated 13K births in the dataset. Shea's peak popularity came in 2005 when it ranked #698. Use the chart and map above to compare Shea's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2005 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.