Sheila
Sheila is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name Síle, which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, meaning 'heavenly'.
Meaning & Origin of Sheila
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Sheila is a common feminine given name, derived from the Irish name Síle, which is believed to be a Gaelic form of the Latin name Caelia, the feminine form of the Roman clan name Caelius, meaning 'heavenly'.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Sheila
Sheila first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1907, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1962, when 8,777 Sheilas were born — ranking #52 that year. As of 2026, Sheila ranks #2,110 for baby girls with 92 births, holding steady (-4%). In total, more than 239K Sheilas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Sheila
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Sheila (French singer) (born 1945), real name Annie Chancel, French singer of group " Sheila (and) B. Devotion "
- Sheila Dara Aisha (born 1992), Indonesian actress and singer
- Sheila Matthews Allen (1929–2013), American actress
- Sheila F. Anthony , American attorney
- Sheila Atim (born c. 1991), Ugandan-British actress and singer
- Sheila Bair (born 1954), American academic and government official
- Sheila Bartels , Ghanaian entrepreneur and politician
- Sheila Black , American poet
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Sheila
Phonetically similar names — useful when Sheila 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 Sheila
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About the name Sheila
Sheila is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1907 and has accumulated 239K births in the dataset. Sheila's peak popularity came in 1962 when it ranked #50. Use the chart and map above to compare Sheila's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1962 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.