Where does the name Sheila come from?

Sheila is a girl name of Irish origin.

Is Sheila a boy or a girl name?

Sheila is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 238,612 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.

How popular is the name Sheila in 2023?

Sheila ranks #1942 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1962 with 8,778 babies.

How do you pronounce Sheila?

Sheila is pronounced SHEE-la (2 syllables).

What are common spellings of Sheila?

Sheila is also written as Sheilah, Shelagh, Sheelagh.

A name from Irish · Girl

Sheila

Anglicized form of Irish Síle, the Irish form of Cecilia — from Latin caecus ('blind'). Sufficiently common in Australia by the early 20th century that 'sheila' became slang for any woman.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 116-year arc in numbers.

238,612 U.S. births recorded from 1907–2023.

Popularity · 1907–2023

102 births in 2023

1907 1965 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

SAnglicized form of Irish Síle, the Irish form of Cecilia — from Latin caecus ('blind'). Sufficiently common in Australia by the early 20th century that 'sheila' became slang for any woman.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Sheila".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Sheilah Most common Shelagh Sheelagh

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Sheila.

S
Sheila E. (percussionist)
S
Sheila Jackson Lee (U.S. congresswoman)

Quick answers

People often ask about Sheila.

What does the name Sheila mean?: Sheila means anglicized form of Irish Síle, the Irish form of Cecilia — from Latin caecus ('blind'). Sufficiently common in Australia by the early 20th century that 'sheila' became slang for any woman.
Where does the name Sheila come from?: Sheila is a girl name of Irish origin.
Is Sheila a boy or a girl name?: Sheila is overwhelmingly a girl name in the United States. Of the 238,612 U.S. babies recorded with this name, more than 99% are girls.
How popular is the name Sheila in 2023?: Sheila ranks #1942 for girls in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1962 with 8,778 babies.
How do you pronounce Sheila?: Sheila is pronounced SHEE-la (2 syllables).
What are common spellings of Sheila?: Sheila is also written as Sheilah, Shelagh, Sheelagh.

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.