Shaleah
Feminine
Shaleah keeps Leah whole, the name of Jacob's first wife in Genesis, and sets Sha- in front of it. The result can be said in three syllables or in two, and the spelling allows both without preferring either.
How old is the name Shaleah?
Shaleah first appears in US birth records in 1979 — 46 years ago. The typical Shaleah alive today was born around 2001, making them about 24 years old. About 500 people named Shaleah are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Shaleah most popular?
Shaleah peaked in 1986, reaching #4186 nationally. See the whole 1986 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Shaleah
Our Shaleah takes Leah exactly as Genesis spells it, the elder sister who married Jacob first, and places a soft Sha- before it, the opening American naming set in front of so many older names. Said with care it has three syllables, sha-LEE-uh; said quickly it folds into two, SHAY-luh, and the letters hold either saying without complaint. What Shaleah adds to Leah is that first lifted syllable and the choice of rhythm that comes with it.
Meaningnot established
Not established
Nothing records a meaning for Shaleah. Leah, the name inside it, is Hebrew and its own sense is disputed; the Sha- in front of it is an American naming element with no meaning of its own. Leah's history belongs to Leah and does not transfer to the longer name.
Pronouncing Shaleah
shuh-LEE-uh
Most readily three syllables with the stress on LEE. A two-syllable SHAY-luh is also possible from the letters, and Leah itself is said both LEE-uh and LAY-uh, so the family's own saying is the one to give.
Nicknames for Shaleah
Limited
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1979
- Most girls named
- 200526 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #4186reached in 1986
- Change vs 2016
- 0.0%8 in 2020, from 8
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Shaleahs among us
people named Shaleah are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Shaleah sits outside the current charts, and that is its own kind of answer: naming cycles can only date the names they carried up. A name this rare has no decade stamped on it — it cannot go out of fashion, because it was never in.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- Leah, a name English speakers know, is easy to see inside the spelling.
- Every letter is sounded in the three-syllable saying, so it reads cleanly once heard.
- Rare in its own right while resting on a familiar name.
- The spelling allows two syllables or three, so expect to say it for each new teacher.
- Forms will offer Shalea, Shaleigh and Chaleah; the ea is the part most often changed.
- The Leah inside keeps it from ever sounding unfamiliar, even where no one has met another Shaleah.
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Shaleah
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Shaleahs are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 500 people named Shaleah are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Shaleah in 2025?
- Shaleah is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Shaleah with classmates?
- Shaleah will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More S names
The most-given names starting with S, all years combined.
Susan#1085 · Sarah#90 · Sandra#1207 · Stephanie#557 · Sharon#1250 · Shirley#1581 · Samantha#151 · Sophia#5
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Shaleah? See the current top 100.
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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