Shea
Girl name · #1153 in 2025 · Rare
Shea ranks #1153 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 201 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #1275, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 8,955 girls born in 2025 was named Shea.
Babies named Shea per year. Source: SSA.
The 75-year story
Shea first appears in the Social Security records in 1950, when 7 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2005, when 348 girls were named Shea — good for #763 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Shea against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Shea in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Shea is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Shea will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Shea is most common
Geography matters for names, and Shea is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Shea is most common in MA (0.9 per 1,000), NJ (0.4 per 1,000), NY (0.4 per 1,000), PA (0.3 per 1,000), IL (0.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Shea is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Shea
Statistically, parents drawn to Shea tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Ayana, Asha, Savanna, Rebeca, and Shira.
AyanaAshaSavannaRebecaShiraLinneaDaniaKeila
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Shea | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 201 | #1150 |
| 2024 | 201 | #1188 |
| 2023 | 247 | #1024 |
| 2022 | 245 | #1043 |
| 2021 | 242 | #1042 |
| 2020 | 207 | #1145 |
| 2019 | 205 | #1164 |
| 2018 | 195 | #1210 |
| 2017 | 184 | #1282 |
| 2016 | 234 | #1098 |
| 2015 | 191 | #1275 |
| 2014 | 206 | #1186 |
| 2013 | 197 | #1220 |
| 2012 | 171 | #1364 |
| 2011 | 172 | #1345 |
| 2010 | 199 | #1218 |
| 2009 | 252 | #1032 |
| 2008 | 278 | #962 |
| 2007 | 293 | #923 |
| 2006 | 296 | #897 |
| 2005 | 348 | #763 |
| 2004 | 329 | #784 |
| 2003 | 318 | #778 |
| 2002 | 294 | #796 |
| 2001 | 327 | #734 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Shea a popular girl name?
Shea ranked #1153 among girls in 2025 with 201 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1275.
When was the name Shea most popular?
Shea peaked in 2005, when 348 American girls received the name (ranked #763 that year). Since 2005 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Shea?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 8,955 newborn American girls was named Shea. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.