Shela
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "perfect" or "upright".
Name Census estimates that about 1,087 living Americans carry the first name Shela. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shela today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shela births was 1950 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shela. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 315,321 Americans
Peak year
1950
44 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
2007 SSA rank
#20,110
Tracked since 1935
Popularity
Shela: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shela from the 1930s through to the 2000s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 337 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shela 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 Shela during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shelas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. Texas, California, Mississippi recorded the most babies named Shela, while Tennessee, New York, North Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 15 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shela
The name Shela is believed to have its origins in Hebrew, derived from the word "Shalev," meaning "calm" or "peaceful." It is a feminine name that has been used across various cultures and time periods.
In ancient Hebrew texts, the name Shela appears as a variant of the name "Shelah," which was the name of one of the sons of Judah, as mentioned in the Book of Genesis. This biblical reference suggests that the name has been in use for several centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shela dates back to the 5th century BCE. A Jewish woman named Shela ben Avital was a prominent figure during the Babylonian exile, known for her wisdom and leadership qualities.
In the Middle Ages, the name gained popularity among Jewish communities across Europe. Shela ben Avraham, a renowned Talmudic scholar from Spain in the 12th century, is one notable figure bearing this name.
During the Renaissance period, the name Shela was also used in various European countries. One example is Shela von Habsburg, an Austrian noblewoman from the 16th century, who was known for her involvement in cultural and artistic pursuits.
In the 19th century, Shela Lefcourt was a Russian-born American author and activist who advocated for women's rights and education. She lived from 1838 to 1918 and was instrumental in establishing several educational institutions for women.
Another notable figure with the name Shela is Shela Baskin, a South African artist and sculptor who was born in 1923 and is celebrated for her contributions to the country's art scene.
While the name Shela has its roots in Hebrew and Jewish culture, it has been adopted and used across various communities and ethnicities over time, reflecting its enduring appeal and versatility.
People
Shela + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shela 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
Shela: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shela?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,087 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shela 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 315,321 US residents.
Is Shela a common name?
We classify Shela as "Rare". It ranks above 90.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,398 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shela most popular?
The single biggest year for Shela was 1950, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shela is about 56 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shela a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shela 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.