sheila
n. countablen. an informal, slightly old-fashioned word for a woman or girl. You might hear it in older movies or Australian English.
n. a woman or girl. Informal and dated in British English; remains common in Australian English.
Sheila is coming to the party tonight.
My grandmother often calls her female friends Sheila, even though they are not named that.
Anglicized spelling of Irish Síle, equivalent to Cecilia. Doublet of Cecilia.
From Hindi शीला (śīlā), from Sanskrit शील (śīla, “character, good conduct”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated May 5, 2026