Sheilah, of Irish origin, is a unique and elegant female given name. It is derived from the Irish surname Ó Siúla, which was originally associated with an area in County Mayo. The name Sheilah is composed of two elements: 'sí', meaning 'star' or 'fairy,' and '-laigh,' meaning 'of the.' Thus, Sheilah translates to 'fairy star' or 'of the stars.' This celestial association gives the name a poetic and ethereal quality. It gained popularity in English-speaking countries during the mid-20th century, likely due to its use by several public figures of that time.
The name Sheilah saw a significant rise in popularity between the 1930s and the mid-1950s, with peaks occurring in the late 1940s to early 1950s. The highest number of births recorded was in 1955 with 199 babies named Sheilah. However, after this period, there was a consistent decline in its popularity, with less than 20 births per year from the late 1970s onwards. The total number of births for the name Sheilah over the given years is 2285.