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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201988peak #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 1988

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedMEVermont: #119 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 524 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #174 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 948 girlsNHWashington: #233 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 1,269 girlsWAIdaho: #203 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 872 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedNDMinnesota: #300 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 2,123 girlsMNIllinois: #507 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 3,685 girlsILWisconsin: #372 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,866 girlsWIMichigan: #221 for girls · 42 births · 1 in 1,367 girlsMINew York: #489 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 3,354 girlsNYMassachusetts: #449 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 3,723 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedRIOregon: #155 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 826 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedSDIowa: #115 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 579 girlsIAIndiana: #173 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 1,028 girlsINOhio: #302 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 2,214 girlsOHPennsylvania: #310 for girls · 33 births · 1 in 2,119 girlsPANew Jersey: #545 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 4,529 girlsNJConnecticut: #286 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 1,875 girlsCTCalifornia: #416 for girls · 89 births · 1 in 2,567 girlsCAUtah: #357 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,940 girlsUTColorado: #209 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 1,159 girlsCONebraska: #230 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,293 girlsNEMissouri: #217 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,377 girlsMOKentucky: #200 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 1,203 girlsKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedWVVirginia: #190 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 1,157 girlsVAMaryland: #371 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 2,597 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedDEArizona: #252 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,326 girlsAZNew Mexico: #322 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 1,553 girlsNMKansas: #124 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 623 girlsKSArkansas: #331 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 2,060 girlsARTennessee: #236 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,523 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #302 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 2,018 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #399 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 2,677 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedDCOklahoma: #113 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 580 girlsOKLouisiana: #491 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 3,289 girlsLAMississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby, so not publishedMSAlabama: #501 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 3,603 girlsALGeorgia: #181 for girls · 38 births · 1 in 1,056 girlsGAHawaii: #182 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 711 girlsHITexas: #278 for girls · 78 births · 1 in 1,645 girlsTXFlorida: #247 for girls · 47 births · 1 in 1,552 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Oklahoma#113 · 1 in 580
  2. Iowa#115 · 1 in 579
  3. Vermont#119 · 1 in 524
  4. Kansas#124 · 1 in 623
  5. Oregon#155 · 1 in 826

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Oklahoma#113301 in 580
Iowa#115271 in 579
Vermont#11951 in 524
Kansas#124231 in 623
Oregon#155191 in 826
Indiana#173331 in 1,028
New Hampshire#17471 in 948
Georgia#181381 in 1,056
Hawaii#18271 in 711
Virginia#190311 in 1,157
Kentucky#200171 in 1,203
Idaho#20361 in 872
Colorado#209181 in 1,159
Missouri#217231 in 1,377
Michigan#221421 in 1,367
Nebraska#23071 in 1,293
Washington#233221 in 1,269
Tennessee#236191 in 1,523
Florida#247471 in 1,552
Arizona#252191 in 1,326
Texas#278781 in 1,645
Connecticut#286101 in 1,875
Minnesota#300131 in 2,123
North Carolina#302191 in 2,018
Ohio#302311 in 2,214
Pennsylvania#310331 in 2,119
New Mexico#32261 in 1,553
Arkansas#33161 in 2,060
Utah#35771 in 1,940
Maryland#371101 in 2,597
Wisconsin#372101 in 2,866
South Carolina#39971 in 2,677
California#416891 in 2,567
Massachusetts#449101 in 3,723
New York#489341 in 3,354
Louisiana#49181 in 3,289
Alabama#50161 in 3,603
Illinois#507201 in 3,685
New Jersey#545101 in 4,529
Alaska———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Maine———
Mississippi———
Montana———
Nevada———
North Dakota———
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 1988

girls
#284
881 births · 1 in 2,021 girls
boys
#691
184 births · 1 in 10,404 boys

Top girls' names in 1988

  1. #1Jessica51,556
  2. #2Ashley49,977
  3. #3Amanda39,459
  4. #4Sarah28,374
  5. #5Jennifer27,893
  6. #6Brittany26,816
  7. #7Stephanie22,843
  8. #8Samantha20,700
  9. #9Nicole20,315
  10. #10Elizabeth20,042
  11. #284Shelby881

Top boys' names in 1988

  1. #1Michael64,171
  2. #2Christopher53,014
  3. #3Matthew45,876
  4. #4Joshua42,653
  5. #5Andrew35,745
  6. #6David35,329
  7. #7Justin35,055
  8. #8Daniel34,718
  9. #9James32,523
  10. #10Robert30,319
  11. #691Shelby184
More about 1988

girls

1,780,854 girls got a published name in 1988; 1 in 2,021 of them was named Shelby, which outranked 98.0% of the 13,883 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.3% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Shelby
  1. #281Maggie888
  2. #282Jasmin885
  3. #283Melody884
  4. #284Shelby881
  5. #285Brittani871
  6. #286Karla866
  7. #286Rose866
Biggest movers since 1987
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,890Jalissa#3,857 → #967
  2. ↑ 2,381Taja#3,101 → #720
  3. ↑ 1,710Whitley#2,156 → #446
  4. ↑ 1,225Jalisa#1,662 → #437
  5. ↑ 883Jaleesa#1,227 → #344
Fallers
  1. ↓ 620Channing#590 → #1,210
  2. ↓ 346Denisse#954 → #1,300
  3. ↓ 319Jeana#966 → #1,285
  4. ↓ 314Eliana#826 → #1,140
  5. ↓ 311Nakia#893 → #1,204

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

boys

1,914,283 boys got a published name in 1988; 1 in 10,404 of them was named Shelby, which outranked 91.9% of the 8,495 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.4% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Shelby
  1. #687Kirby186
  2. #687Tobias186
  3. #690Darrel185
  4. #691Shelby184
  5. #692Elvis183
  6. #692Willis183
  7. #694Tyree182
Biggest movers since 1987
Risers
  1. ↑ 3,252Nico#4,239 → #987
  2. ↑ 1,245Ridge#2,215 → #970
  3. ↑ 668Colten#1,484 → #816
  4. ↑ 600Brantley#1,587 → #987
  5. ↑ 518Long#1,337 → #819
Fallers
  1. ↓ 362Cordaro#908 → #1,270
  2. ↓ 246Ramsey#884 → #1,130
  3. ↓ 241Yaakov#974 → #1,215
  4. ↓ 233Adrain#990 → #1,223
  5. ↓ 230Kiel#846 → #1,076

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

See the top 100 for 1988 →