Shelly
Pet form of Shelley, an English surname from place names joining Old English scylf, a ledge or shelf, with leah, a clearing.
Shelly in 2025
Shelly was given to 21 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 10,222nd most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 157,873 babies born.
The history of Shelly
Shelly reached its highest point in 1964, when 4,127 babies were given the name, ranking 195th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 178th, in 1966.
Across the 144 years of records since 1882, 86,610 babies have been named Shelly. Half of them were born before 1968, which places the name's centre of gravity with Generation X.
Shelly has switched sex over its history: it went mostly to boys in its early decades, and goes mostly to girls today.
Shelly by decade
| Decade | Babies named Shelly | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 20 | 1,555 |
| 1890s | 54 | 1,743 |
| 1900s | 50 | 2,034 |
| 1910s | 131 | 2,965 |
| 1920s | 288 | 2,089 |
| 1930s | 437 | 1,591 |
| 1940s | 1,063 | 1,004 |
| 1950s | 9,153 | 355 |
| 1960s | 36,026 | 178 |
| 1970s | 25,823 | 180 |
| 1980s | 9,183 | 356 |
| 1990s | 2,766 | 1,004 |
| 2000s | 1,039 | 2,276 |
| 2010s | 423 | 5,199 |
| 2020s | 154 | 7,959 |
Where Shelly is heading
Shelly has fallen 53% over the past decade, from 45 babies in 2015 to 21 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1964 peak — Shelly is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Shelly
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Shelly.