Girl · #11,798 in 2026

Shelda

Name: Popularity of the name Shelda in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Shelda, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Current Rank

#11,798

Peak Rank

#1,501 (1941)

Total Babies

569

5-Yr Trend

Stable

1935

First Year

1988

Last Year

1941

Peak Year

#1501

Peak Rank

569

Total Count

Years Active

The Story of Shelda

Shelda first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1935, with 11 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1941, when 27 Sheldas were born — ranking #1,501 that year. As of 2026, Shelda ranks #11,798 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 569 Sheldas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Shelda

Phonetically similar names — useful when Shelda is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Shoulda
Shelta
Sheldon
Shelled
Sheld
Sheltie
Shela
Shelty
Shelden
Shelah
Zelda
Selda

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shelda

What does the name Shelda mean?

Shelda is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1935. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Shelda in 2026?

In 2026, Shelda ranks #11,798 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.

When was Shelda most popular?

Shelda reached its peak popularity in 1941, ranking #1,501 that year with 27 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Shelda most popular?

Shelda has historically been most popular in North Carolina, Pennsylvania. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Shelda.

Is Shelda a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Shelda is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Shelda?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Shelda include Tammey, Zaynab, Catera. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Shelda

Shelda is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1935 and has accumulated 569 births in the dataset. Shelda's peak popularity came in 1941 when it ranked #1,501. Use the chart and map above to compare Shelda's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.