Shailee
Feminine name of Indian origin referring to the moon or moonlight.
Name Census estimates that about 491 living Americans carry the first name Shailee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shailee today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shailee births was 2000 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shailee. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
491
~ 1 in 698,074 Americans
Peak year
2000
30 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2023 SSA rank
#17,231
Tracked since 1990
Popularity
Shailee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shailee from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 187 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shailee by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Shailee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shailees live
Origin
Meaning and history of Shailee
The name Shailee has its roots in the Sanskrit language, originating in ancient India. It is believed to have derived from the Sanskrit word "Shalya," meaning "sharp" or "pointed." In Hindu mythology, Shalya was also the name of a king known for his archery skills.
The earliest known usage of the name Shailee can be traced back to the Mahabharata, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India. In this epic, Shailee was mentioned as the name of a warrior who fought alongside the Pandavas in the great battle of Kurukshetra.
Throughout history, the name Shailee has been associated with strength, courage, and resilience. One notable figure bearing this name was Shailee Ghatsila, a 16th-century Indian queen who ruled the Ghatsila Kingdom in present-day Jharkhand. She was known for her wise leadership and commitment to the welfare of her subjects.
Another famous bearer of the name was Shailee Gupta, a renowned Indian classical dancer and choreographer from the 20th century. Born in 1924, she was instrumental in reviving and popularizing the Kathak dance form, earning numerous accolades and awards for her contributions to the arts.
In more recent times, Shailee Shetty, an Indian actress and model born in 1983, has gained recognition for her work in various Bollywood films and television shows. Her portrayal of strong and independent characters has made her a role model for many young women.
Additionally, Shailee Basnet, a Nepali mountain climber born in 1991, made history as the youngest woman to summit Mount Everest in 2008 at the age of 16. Her remarkable achievement has inspired many aspiring mountaineers and adventurers around the world.
While the name Shailee has its origins in ancient India, it has transcended cultural boundaries and gained popularity across various regions and communities, cherished for its beautiful sound and powerful connotations of strength and determination.
People
Shailee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shailee as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shailee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shailee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 491 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shailee going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 698,074 US residents.
Is Shailee a common name?
We classify Shailee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 500 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shailee most popular?
The single biggest year for Shailee was 2000, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shailee is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shailee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shailee in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.