The first name Sheila
A girl’s name from Irish.
Pronounced /ˈʃiːlə/ 2 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Irish origin
Anglicized spelling of Irish Síle, equivalent to Caelia. Doublet of Celia.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 7 girls were named Sheila, making it the 3,333rd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2006, with 16 births (#1,502).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Sheila with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Sheila at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 65 girls born in the United States were named Sheila, the 2,686th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1962, when 8,778 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Sheila in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Sheila in Portuguese too.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Shelagh
- Shelia
Famous people named Sheila
55 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Sheila Jackson LeeAmerican lawyer and politician (1950–2024)
- Sheila JordanAmerican jazz singer (1928–2025)
- Sheila E.American singer and percussionist (born 1957)
- Sheila YoungAmerican speed skater and racing cyclist, born 1950
- Sheila HancockBritish actress, born 1933
- Sheila McCarthyCanadian actress, born 1956
- Sheila WidnallAmerican aerospace researcher and educator, born 1938
- Sheila JeffreysBritish feminist, born 1948
- Sheila EcholsAmerican athletics competitor (born 1964)
- Sheila FitzpatrickAustralian and American historian, born 1941
- Sheila KelleyAmerican actress, born 1961
- Sheila VandAmerican actress and performance artist, born 1985
More Irish girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Sheila mean?
- Anglicized spelling of Irish Síle, equivalent to Caelia. Doublet of Celia.
- What is the origin of the name Sheila?
- Anglicized spelling of Irish Síle, equivalent to Caelia. Doublet of Celia.
- How popular is the name Sheila?
- In 2025, 7 girls born in England and Wales were named Sheila, ranking 3,333rd. Its peak was 2006, with 16 births.
- Is Sheila a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 239,422 US babies named Sheila since 1880 were girls.
- When was Sheila most popular?
- 1962 in the United States, when 8,778 babies were named Sheila, its highest rank at 52nd.
- How do you pronounce Sheila?
- Sheila is /ˈʃiːlə/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Sheila?
- Shelagh and Shelia.