Shelagh
Shelagh 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 Shelagh
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Shelagh 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 Shelagh
Shelagh first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1942, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1950, when 22 Shelaghs were born — ranking #2,053 that year. As of 2026, Shelagh ranks #14,411 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 510 Shelaghs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1940s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shelagh
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shelagh 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 Shelagh
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About the name Shelagh
Shelagh is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1942 and has accumulated 510 births in the dataset. Shelagh's peak popularity came in 1950 when it ranked #2,053. Use the chart and map above to compare Shelagh's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1950 →
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- 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.