Eileen vs Sheila
Eileen and Sheilacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2022, Eileen was ranked #357 and Sheila #905 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 1996, Eileen was ranked #373 and Sheila #657 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Eileen was ranked #855 and Sheila #4192 among girls in England and Wales.
Eileen and Sheila over time
Eileen and Sheila appear together in 3 published lists, across 102 years of shared records. Eileen held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Sheila in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Eileen and Sheila changed places 4 times in Norway · Girls between 1964 and 1996, ending at #373 and #657.
- Longest-running competitions
Eileen and Sheila were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 52 years, from 1964 to 2022, ending at #357 and #905.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Eileen #17 in 1964, Sheila #37 in 1964.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls52 shared years, 1964–2022
Eileen held the stronger position in 51 of those years, Sheila in 1.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #17 in 1964, Sheila #37 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Eileen #357, Sheila #905.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Eileen held the stronger position in 28 of those years, Sheila in 1.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #855 in 2024, Sheila #1502 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Eileen #855, Sheila #4192.
Norway · Girls21 shared years, 1964–1996
Eileen held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Sheila in 2.
Highest recorded here: Eileen #224 in 1972, Sheila #359 in 1985.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1996: Eileen #373, Sheila #657.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Eileen | Sheila |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #443 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4192 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Eileen and Sheila both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Eileen
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #324 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2025
Highest recorded position: #17 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #501 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Sheila
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #535 among girls in Norway in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1964–2022
Highest recorded position: #37 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 1964 (recorded 1964–2022).
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls