Shelby
An English place name and surname, probably “willow farm.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Shelby appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in every year from 1990 to 2003. Its biggest year was 1991, when 10,220 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 33 nationally. In 2025 it ranked No. 649 for girls. The name has also seen real use for boys: 16,449 of the 165,279 Americans given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Shelbie (5,580), Shelbi (5,496), Shelbey (896), Shelbee (602) (total births since 1880)
Explore Shelby interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 46 | No. 2833 |
| 1920s | 95 | No. 1961 |
| 1930s | 6,077 | No. 119 |
| 1940s | 4,895 | No. 187 |
| 1950s | 3,075 | No. 489 |
| 1960s | 3,267 | No. 494 |
| 1970s | 5,970 | No. 300 |
| 1980s | 7,881 | No. 229 |
| 1990s | 71,995 | No. 33 |
| 2000s | 31,310 | No. 68 |
| 2010s | 11,216 | No. 184 |
| 2020s | 3,003 | No. 501 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.