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Sheila as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sheila

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The baby name Sheila is a Girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈʃiːlə/.

Sheila is Irish, Latin in Origin.

Gender: Girl
Syllables: 2
Origin: Irish, Latin
Pronunciation: /ˈʃiːlə/

What is the meaning of the name Sheila ?

The baby name Sheila is a girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈʃiːlə/.

Sheila is Irish, Latin in Origin.

Sheila is an English spelling of Irish Síle, the Irish vernacular form of Latin Caecilia, feminine of the Roman family name Caecilius. That nomen is usually connected with Latin caecus, blind, plus the family-name suffix -ilius; the older Roman form Caecilia is the earliest secure form behind the name. The literal sense is blind, though later confusion with Caelia, from caelum, heaven, explains the occasional heavenly gloss.

The name entered Irish naming through Christian devotion to Saint Cecilia, the Roman martyr and patron saint of music, then passed into English as Sheila, Sheelagh, Shelagh, and Sheilagh. In Britain, Ireland, Australia, and North America it became familiar in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; U.S. data show its strongest run from the 1930s to the 1960s, reaching No. 49 in 1965. Modern use is quieter than at midcentury.

Sheila has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Sheila

Sheila Hancock Actor · Born 1933 · United Kingdom Sheila Hancock is a British actor best known for her roles in films like 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' and 'Carry On Cleo'. She has also made significant contributions to theater and television, with a career spanning several decades since her birth in 1933. Sheila McCarthy Actor · Born 1956 · Canada Sheila McCarthy is a Canadian actress best known for her role in the film 'I've Heard the Mermaids Singing'. She has also appeared in 'The Stone Angel' and the TV series 'Little Mosque on the Prairie'. Sheila Vand Actor · Born 1985 · United States Sheila Vand is an American actor best known for her role in the critically acclaimed film 'A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night'. She also appeared in the popular TV series 'Snowpiercer' and the film 'Argo'.
Sheila Chandra Actor · Born 1965 · United Kingdom Sheila Chandra is best known as a singer from the United Kingdom, who gained fame in the 1980s with her band Monsoon and their hit song 'Ever So Lonely'. She later pursued a successful solo career with albums like 'Out on My Own' and 'Weaving My Ancestors' Voices'. Sheila Taormina Athlete · Born 1969 · United States Sheila Taormina is best known as an American Olympian who made history by qualifying for the Olympics in three different sports: swimming, triathlon, and modern pentathlon. She competed in four Olympic Games from 1996 to 2008 and won a gold medal in swimming at the 1996 Summer Olympics as part of the victorious U.S. team. Sheila Ryan Actor · Born 1921 · United States Sheila Ryan was an American actress best known for appearing in more than 60 films. Born Katherine Elizabeth McLaughlin, she worked steadily in Hollywood from the 1940s into the 1950s, including roles in movies like Great Guns, Dressed to Kill, and The Gang's All Here.

Sheila – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2022 #1 — 935
FJ Girls 0 #7 3 583
BW 0 #19 1 960
HT Girls 0 #23 1 950
BN 0 #30 3 2,297
NA 0 #32 2 2,537
ID 0 #35 5 2,238
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
PH 0 #41 56 5,607
PR 0 #45 11 1,497
MO 0 #49 4 2,706
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU 0 #64 3 2,830
AO 0 #73 5 2,729
AL 0 #75 2 2,372
JP 0 #75 3 4,057
PR Girls 0 #80 91 3,171
SI 0 #80 1 1,612
CN 0 #83 4 3,857
BN Girls 0 #85 22 5,459
PH Girls 0 #87 431 13,098
QA 0 #89 12 7,011
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
MU Girls 0 #92 386 8,539
AF Girls 0 #94 1 2,402
ID Girls 0 #96 7 3,319
TW 0 #98 6 4,523
BW Girls 0 #102 47 4,216
CY Girls 0 #104 18 3,755
OM 0 #113 9 6,215
KW 0 #114 8 5,216
AO Girls 0 #117 101 4,575
EC 0 #121 1 2,502
MU 0 #121 16 3,613
LU Girls 0 #130 57 4,850
Norway Girls 1996 #131 4 549
PA 0 #132 7 3,797
Switzerland Girls 2024 #133 3 1,786
GR 0 #133 3 3,911
Spain Girls 0 #134 5,234 5,561
MT Girls 0 #134 18 3,773
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
CR 0 #142 17 5,526
EE Girls 0 #142 1 1,888
GH Girls 0 #142 263 6,973
AE 0 #154 24 10,220
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
UY 0 #158 20 2,477
BR Girls 0 #171 3,052 12,708
Sweden Girls 2022 #177 3 1,568
AR 0 #177 10 2,915
SI Girls 0 #177 1 2,769
CZ 0 #186 1 3,154
RU 0 #190 5 3,641
DK 0 #192 12 5,198
GH 0 #197 47 5,396
QA Girls 0 #197 121 15,378
SG 0 #199 71 11,010
LT Girls 0 #200 1 1,904
JP Girls 0 #203 43 6,592
UY Girls 0 #205 497 6,731
BR 0 #206 147 5,969
NA Girls 0 #206 19 7,146
AL Girls 0 #207 16 4,141
PL 0 #211 2 2,600
JM Girls 0 #213 47 7,507
MO Girls 0 #215 37 7,056
PS 0 #219 8 5,692
PT 0 #221 26 4,161
EC Girls 0 #222 18 3,650
HU Girls 0 #225 1 3,308
SG Girls 0 #226 477 18,916
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
GR Girls 0 #231 12 6,293
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
TW Girls 0 #231 46 8,139
BD 0 #239 3 5,992
ZA Girls 0 #241 2,591 25,928
Spain 0 #246 242 2,326
AO Boys 0 #248 2 5,568
NG 0 #250 15 5,926
DK Girls 0 #252 65 7,429
MY 0 #252 79 12,352
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
TW Boys 0 #255 2 7,111
IL 0 #257 18 6,291
PT Girls 0 #267 212 7,952
KW Girls 0 #271 257 19,177
AF Boys 0 #273 2 3,535
GR Boys 0 #273 1 6,912
SA 0 #278 18 10,560
OM Girls 0 #280 117 15,987
PE 0 #280 31 6,350
Canada Girls 2024 #281 5 2,795
PA Girls 0 #284 210 9,861
AE Girls 0 #286 281 20,968
HR Girls 0 #292 3 3,687
GT 0 #294 21 5,948
CN Girls 0 #297 53 8,829
AL Boys 0 #303 1 5,122
JP Boys 0 #303 1 7,909
HK 0 #313 36 8,483
JO Girls 0 #314 12 7,570
MY Girls 0 #318 1,100 24,821
CN Boys 0 #330 2 9,639
ZA 0 #330 118 14,421
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
AR Girls 0 #336 340 8,289
BO 0 #337 45 6,868
NL 0 #345 47 2,481
MX 0 #346 68 8,339
CZ Girls 0 #348 4 5,378
BO Girls 0 #350 309 9,488
SD Girls 0 #354 5 7,678
GH Boys 0 #358 4 8,138
PL Girls 0 #363 2 5,096
CR Girls 0 #367 170 11,342
MU Boys 0 #367 3 8,477
Finland Girls 0 #375 17 1,368
BD Girls 0 #376 11 8,413
PT Boys 0 #380 2 7,951
GT Girls 0 #388 120 7,500
Austria Girls 0 #390 31 1,885
YE 0 #396 3 8,639
CL 0 #399 13 6,867
France Girls 2021 #402 4 3,185
PH Boys 0 #402 7 11,440
UY Boys 0 #409 5 5,922
EG 0 #410 3 6,387
HK Girls 0 #414 207 16,104
CM Girls 0 #416 126 11,671
Germany 0 #419 19 2,542
PE Girls 0 #427 792 14,861
CO 0 #450 31 7,768
PS Girls 0 #454 70 10,981
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
NL Girls 0 #473 598 5,933
RU Girls 0 #476 23 11,913
AR Boys 0 #480 4 7,628
BH 0 #491 63 17,937
GT Boys 0 #494 6 7,625
PA Boys 0 #504 2 9,305
IR Girls 0 #507 24 8,334
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
IL Girls 0 #519 99 11,648
IQ Girls 0 #520 6 11,303
RU Boys 0 #525 2 12,621
MX Girls 0 #530 1,080 17,781
IT Girls 0 #545 1,598 9,415
NG Girls 0 #554 246 15,093
HK Boys 0 #555 3 12,905
LY 0 #558 2 12,703
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
SA Girls 0 #567 387 25,931
IT 0 #569 147 4,183
CM Boys 0 #570 6 12,054
CO Girls 0 #598 615 16,140
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
IN Girls 0 #615 17 13,121
BO Boys 0 #617 6 9,244
IL Boys 0 #624 2 10,983
LB 0 #645 14 13,263
Germany Girls 0 #682 158 4,949
Finland Girls 2026 #686 53 3,895
CL Girls 0 #694 158 14,098
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
BR Boys 0 #711 41 12,213
SG Boys 0 #734 6 17,960
QA Boys 0 #741 3 18,093
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
United States Girls 2024 #820 97 8,487
TN 0 #862 4 13,765
Spain Boys 0 #905 26 5,610
CO Boys 0 #910 11 15,656
OM Boys 0 #914 5 17,948
PE Boys 0 #918 9 14,506
EG Boys 0 #924 2 15,035
EG Girls 0 #941 19 14,742
NG Boys 0 #996 6 16,906
MX Boys 0 #1,028 6 16,355
MY Boys 0 #1,088 24 25,439
MA 0 #1,100 29 20,986
ZA Boys 0 #1,126 53 25,619
AE Boys 0 #1,137 7 22,615
DZ 0 #1,161 16 20,130
TR 0 #1,171 41 19,440
IT Boys 0 #1,461 11 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,597 18 28,008

Sheila is popular in 87 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Ireland
Canada
Switzerland
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Sheila

Sheila is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Sheila is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈʃiːlə/.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Síle, Sile, Sheelagh, Shelagh, Sheilagh and Cecilia.
Yes, very popular — Sheila ranked #1 in Ireland in 2022, and appears in official birth registries across 9 countries.
Sheila ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2022).
Yes — 8 notable people named Sheila are in our database, including Sheila Hancock (Actor), Sheila McCarthy (Actor), Sheila Vand (Actor).