Shelby

#649 for girls in 2025, 444 births · #2,991 for boys in 2025, 41 births
Given to girls 90.0% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1991 · 10,220 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
14 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
148,830
since 1913

Shelby over time

girlsboys

Rank within each sex, plotted together. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201986peak #33, 1991peak #385, 1938girlsboys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#649444#2,99141
2024#657446#2,59551
2023#656448#2,66049
2022#595503#3,00341
2021#549556#3,29735
2020#501606#2,58649
2019#495634#3,71629
2018#424738#3,70829
2017#373836#3,31234
2016#337986#2,99339
2015#2991,080#3,43132
2014#2941,114#3,15435
2013#2591,239#2,56247
2012#2201,447#2,63246
2011#2171,462#2,69944
2010#1841,680#2,63246
2009#1671,935#2,70245
2008#1582,148#1,89976
2007#1492,351#1,92873
2006#1332,620#1,89371
2005#1172,839#1,86968
2004#1122,988#1,53087
2003#943,537#1,63077
2002#753,961#1,258108
2001#684,370#1,298101
2000#704,561#1,087129
1999#625,018#884171
1998#495,893#878165
1997#436,701#751199
1996#357,950#589305
1995#387,632#555335
1994#407,546#536362
1993#378,122#512403
1992#349,396#473453
1991#3310,220#427524
1990#1003,517#525354
1989#2291,203#692205
1988#284881#691184
1987#273899#685176
1986#276900#691172
1985#281885#661177
1984#2421,042#715148
1983#351642#682157
1982#479435#788125
1981#424512#750135
1980#443482#758134
1979#469428#722144
1978#418483#647168
1977#382553#614187
1976#365575#617176
1975#308746#576195
1974#300798#587184
1973#328678#605171
1972#318754#605173
1971#393555#607188
1970#499400#647159
1969#547326#592173
1968#537319#634143
1967#549293#655129
1966#540304#599156
1965#576274#696114
1964#556317#713117
1963#505371#671136
1962#502370#709117
1961#494386#676131
1960#559307#619159
1959#516357#667131
1958#489382#670128
1957#493367#675128
1956#506345#659132
1955#490344#599151
1954#504310#599153
1953#531262#644122
1952#574228#617132
1951#557232#532162
1950#517248#565143
1949#532241#553147
1948#500266#523160
1947#425369#558146
1946#383397#492171
1945#387333#488153
1944#364367#476161
1943#314491#448200
1942#279599#484160
1941#213826#455168
1940#1871,006#436176
1939#1701,164#393207
1938#1421,714#385214
1937#1191,997#385203
1936#1781,071#458151
1935#84067#525121
1934#1,91317#496133
1933#1,83518#530115
1932#1,87718#576106
1931#2,58111#562109
1930—#569111
1929#2,92110#564110
1928#1,96119#62197
1927#2,85911#553124
1926—#562120
1925#3,3629#543128
1924#4,0027#608110
1923#3,9717#550126
1922#3,15210#559128
1921#2,76212#534136
1920#3,09710#499146
1919#3,8177#501141
1918#4,8095#572113
1917#3,0929#532119
1916#2,83310#574100
1915#4,2745#60590
1914#3,6185#53684
1913#3,1875#75938
1912—#58448
1911—#54830
1910—#52429
1909—#50526
1908—#42931
1907—#69914
1906—#40029
1905—#54918
1904—#68612
1903—#50518
1902—#68711
1901—#53614
1900—#53420
1899—#45717
1898—#41822
1897—#55614
1896—#55114
1895—#50116
1894—#54314
1893—#61511
1892—#44519
1891—#8416
1890—#60311
1889—#58111
1888—#50515
1887—#46114
1886—#6479
1885—#60410
1884—#46816
1883—#6778
1882—#51413
1881—#53311
1880—#6828
First appearance
1913

The first year at least five girls were named Shelby! It came in at #3,187, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1926, when fewer than 5 girls a year got the name.

Where Shelby is popular in 1986

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedAKMaine: #133 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 610 girlsMEVermont: #121 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 543 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #157 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 857 girlsNHWashington: #128 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 680 girlsWAIdaho: #201 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 925 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #172 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 852 girlsNDMinnesota: #222 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,456 girlsMNIllinois: #389 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 2,728 girlsILWisconsin: #224 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,484 girlsWIMichigan: #221 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 1,413 girlsMINew York: #505 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 3,741 girlsNYMassachusetts: #428 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,510 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedRIOregon: #177 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 903 girlsORNevada: #135 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 635 girlsNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedSDIowa: #122 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 638 girlsIAIndiana: #232 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,429 girlsINOhio: #323 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 2,426 girlsOHPennsylvania: #312 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 2,217 girlsPANew Jersey: #659 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 5,999 girlsNJConnecticut: #258 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,733 girlsCTCalifornia: #369 for girls · 97 births · 1 in 2,141 girlsCAUtah: #319 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,746 girlsUTColorado: #145 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 780 girlsCONebraska: #132 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 680 girlsNEMissouri: #163 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 952 girlsMOKentucky: #337 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 2,619 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedWVVirginia: #248 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,533 girlsVAMaryland: #200 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,226 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedDEArizona: #297 for girls · 14 births · 1 in 1,673 girlsAZNew Mexico: #251 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,184 girlsNMKansas: #123 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 630 girlsKSArkansas: #202 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,129 girlsARTennessee: #306 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,119 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #532 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 4,445 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #295 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,771 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #148 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 783 girlsOKLouisiana: #559 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,028 girlsLAMississippi: #456 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,750 girlsMSAlabama: #440 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 3,049 girlsALGeorgia: #306 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,983 girlsGAHawaii: #137 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 542 girlsHITexas: #242 for girls · 94 births · 1 in 1,401 girlsTXFlorida: #300 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 2,013 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Vermont#121 · 1 in 543
  2. Iowa#122 · 1 in 638
  3. Kansas#123 · 1 in 630
  4. Washington#128 · 1 in 680
  5. Nebraska#132 · 1 in 680

Best ever in a state: #5 in Montana, 1991.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Vermont#12151 in 543
Iowa#122251 in 638
Kansas#123231 in 630
Washington#128401 in 680
Nebraska#132141 in 680
Maine#133101 in 610
Nevada#13581 in 635
Hawaii#13791 in 542
Colorado#145281 in 780
Oklahoma#148241 in 783
New Hampshire#15771 in 857
Missouri#163331 in 952
North Dakota#17251 in 852
Oregon#177171 in 903
Maryland#200201 in 1,226
Idaho#20161 in 925
Arkansas#202111 in 1,129
Michigan#221401 in 1,413
Minnesota#222191 in 1,456
Wisconsin#224201 in 1,484
Indiana#232231 in 1,429
Texas#242941 in 1,401
Virginia#248221 in 1,533
New Mexico#25181 in 1,184
Connecticut#258101 in 1,733
South Carolina#295101 in 1,771
Arizona#297141 in 1,673
Florida#300331 in 2,013
Georgia#306191 in 1,983
Tennessee#306131 in 2,119
Pennsylvania#312311 in 2,217
Utah#31981 in 1,746
Ohio#323281 in 2,426
Kentucky#33781 in 2,619
California#369971 in 2,141
Illinois#389261 in 2,728
Massachusetts#428101 in 3,510
Alabama#44071 in 3,049
Mississippi#45651 in 2,750
New York#505291 in 3,741
North Carolina#53281 in 4,445
Louisiana#55971 in 4,028
New Jersey#65971 in 5,999
Alaska———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Montana———
Rhode Island———
South Dakota———
West Virginia———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Shelby
Momentum · girls
Falling
  • 8 spots since 2024 (#657 → #649)
  • 148 spots since 2020 (#501 → #649)
  • 350 spots since 2015 (#299 → #649)
  • Biggest jump: 1,073 spots in 1935 (#1,913 → #840)
  • Biggest drop: 75 spots in 1948 (#425 → #500)
Rise & fade · girls
78 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1913
  • Peaked 1991 at #33 (10,220 births)
  • Births halved by 1999, 8 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 14 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 14 yrs · run 1990–2003
  • Top 1,000: 91 yrs · run 1935–2025
Share of babies · girls
1 in 183
  • Highest: 1 in 183 girls born in 1991 were named Shelby (0.55%)
  • Latest: 1 in 3,620 girls born in 2025 (0.03%)
Era · girls
The 1990s
  • 48.4% of all girls named Shelby (71,995) were born in this decade
Girls or boys?
Flipped in 1936
  • Mostly boys until 1935, mostly girls since
all girlsall boys
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1910s46#2,833 (1916)#3,661
1920s95#1,961 (1928)#3,121
1930s6,077#119 (1937)#1,073
1940s4,895#187 (1940)#358
1950s3,075#489 (1958)#518
1960s3,267#494 (1961)#537
1970s5,970#300 (1974)#378
1980s7,881#229 (1989)#328
1990s71,995#33 (1991)#47
2000s31,310#68 (2001)#114
2010s11,216#184 (2010)#310
2020s3,003#501 (2020)#601

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Shelby in 1986

girls
#276
900 births · 1 in 1,906 girls
boys
#691
172 births · 1 in 10,706 boys

Top girls' names in 1986

  1. #1Jessica52,682
  2. #2Ashley49,671
  3. #3Amanda40,532
  4. #4Jennifer36,187
  5. #5Sarah28,163
  6. #6Stephanie22,651
  7. #7Nicole21,292
  8. #8Brittany20,313
  9. #9Heather19,790
  10. #10Elizabeth19,074
  11. #276Shelby900

Top boys' names in 1986

  1. #1Michael64,235
  2. #2Christopher56,693
  3. #3Matthew46,929
  4. #4Joshua37,542
  5. #5David37,150
  6. #6Daniel36,573
  7. #7James34,057
  8. #8Andrew33,858
  9. #9Robert31,350
  10. #10John30,209
  11. #691Shelby172
More about 1986

girls

1,715,547 girls got a published name in 1986; 1 in 1,906 of them was named Shelby, which outranked 97.8% of the 12,836 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 18.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Shelby
  1. #273Hope910
  2. #274Hilary909
  3. #275Katharine907
  4. #276Shelby900
  5. #277Jodi895
  6. #278Yolanda882
  7. #279Paula881
Biggest movers since 1985
Risers
  1. ↑ 9,719Kyrie#10,677 → #958
  2. ↑ 4,778Sable#5,678 → #900
  3. ↑ 2,034Eliana#2,484 → #450
  4. ↑ 1,497Shatara#2,484 → #987
  5. ↑ 1,374Cherrelle#2,253 → #879
Fallers
  1. ↓ 442Violeta#963 → #1,405
  2. ↓ 361Micaela#545 → #906
  3. ↓ 361Tasia#572 → #933
  4. ↓ 324Jo#925 → #1,249
  5. ↓ 306Tammie#987 → #1,293

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,841,515 boys got a published name in 1986; 1 in 10,706 of them was named Shelby, which outranked 91.2% of the 7,830 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 22.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Shelby
  1. #688Brody173
  2. #688Cale173
  3. #688Cordero173
  4. #691Shelby172
  5. #691Adolfo172
  6. #691Heriberto172
  7. #694Jasper171
  8. #694Jayce171
  9. #694Skylar171

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1985
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,279Spenser#2,226 → #947
  2. ↑ 920Jayce#1,614 → #694
  3. ↑ 714Addison#1,228 → #514
  4. ↑ 649Payton#1,614 → #965
  5. ↑ 573Cordell#1,181 → #608
Fallers
  1. ↓ 409Ulises#877 → #1,286
  2. ↓ 365Eliot#934 → #1,299
  3. ↓ 322Jordy#998 → #1,320
  4. ↓ 313Trace#956 → #1,269
  5. ↓ 292Kennith#963 → #1,255

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1986 →