Shelly
#5,722 for girls in 2025, 21 births · Last seen for boys in 2007 at #12,367
Given to girls 97.5% of the time
Showing
- Peak · girls
- 1966 · 3,856 births
- Debut · girls
- 5 births
- In top 100 · girls
- 5 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · girls
- 84,420since 1916
Shelly over time
girls
Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.
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
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #5,722 | 21 | — | |
| 2024 | #4,560 | 30 | — | |
| 2023 | #5,960 | 20 | — | |
| 2022 | #4,793 | 28 | — | |
| 2021 | #4,507 | 30 | — | |
| 2020 | #5,003 | 25 | — | |
| 2019 | #4,653 | 29 | — | |
| 2018 | #4,662 | 29 | — | |
| 2017 | #4,220 | 34 | — | |
| 2016 | #4,083 | 36 | — | |
| 2015 | #3,478 | 45 | — | |
| 2014 | #3,226 | 50 | — | |
| 2013 | #3,123 | 52 | — | |
| 2012 | #3,169 | 52 | — | |
| 2011 | #3,843 | 39 | — | |
| 2010 | #2,976 | 57 | — | |
| 2009 | #2,396 | 80 | — | |
| 2008 | #2,663 | 69 | — | |
| 2007 | #2,541 | 73 | #12,367 | 5 |
| 2006 | #2,165 | 89 | — | |
| 2005 | #1,790 | 109 | — | |
| 2004 | #1,883 | 100 | — | |
| 2003 | #1,676 | 114 | — | |
| 2002 | #1,535 | 123 | — | |
| 2001 | #1,499 | 125 | #10,556 | 5 |
| 2000 | #1,301 | 147 | — | |
| 1999 | #1,206 | 158 | — | |
| 1998 | #1,129 | 168 | — | |
| 1997 | #1,130 | 166 | — | |
| 1996 | #904 | 217 | #7,136 | 7 |
| 1995 | #819 | 240 | — | |
| 1994 | #738 | 281 | #7,770 | 6 |
| 1993 | #697 | 307 | #6,816 | 7 |
| 1992 | #647 | 348 | — | |
| 1991 | #538 | 434 | #7,271 | 6 |
| 1990 | #564 | 413 | #5,823 | 8 |
| 1989 | #504 | 466 | #4,017 | 13 |
| 1988 | #429 | 537 | #5,751 | 7 |
| 1987 | #371 | 629 | — | |
| 1986 | #325 | 744 | #5,332 | 7 |
| 1985 | #281 | 885 | #5,785 | 6 |
| 1984 | #258 | 949 | #4,215 | 9 |
| 1983 | #230 | 1,073 | #4,499 | 8 |
| 1982 | #226 | 1,137 | #3,282 | 13 |
| 1981 | #212 | 1,228 | #4,153 | 9 |
| 1980 | #186 | 1,451 | #3,430 | 12 |
| 1979 | #182 | 1,456 | #2,310 | 21 |
| 1978 | #175 | 1,501 | #1,870 | 27 |
| 1977 | #151 | 1,848 | #2,665 | 16 |
| 1976 | #145 | 1,861 | #1,932 | 25 |
| 1975 | #113 | 2,484 | #1,787 | 27 |
| 1974 | #107 | 2,797 | #1,618 | 30 |
| 1973 | #104 | 2,910 | #1,376 | 37 |
| 1972 | #94 | 3,288 | #1,364 | 38 |
| 1971 | #103 | 3,637 | #1,560 | 31 |
| 1970 | #103 | 3,751 | #1,351 | 38 |
| 1969 | #102 | 3,676 | #1,326 | 36 |
| 1968 | #98 | 3,595 | #1,165 | 42 |
| 1967 | #94 | 3,648 | #1,476 | 27 |
| 1966 | #89 | 3,856 | #1,401 | 30 |
| 1965 | #98 | 3,850 | #1,129 | 44 |
| 1964 | #101 | 4,080 | #1,114 | 47 |
| 1963 | #117 | 3,790 | #1,403 | 31 |
| 1962 | #130 | 3,480 | #1,423 | 30 |
| 1961 | #145 | 2,994 | #1,262 | 39 |
| 1960 | #157 | 2,692 | #1,252 | 39 |
| 1959 | #188 | 1,883 | #1,559 | 26 |
| 1958 | #221 | 1,379 | #1,321 | 34 |
| 1957 | #244 | 1,210 | #1,278 | 37 |
| 1956 | #291 | 929 | #1,335 | 33 |
| 1955 | #306 | 786 | #1,725 | 20 |
| 1954 | #306 | 759 | #1,169 | 41 |
| 1953 | #356 | 571 | #1,331 | 32 |
| 1952 | #355 | 538 | #1,152 | 41 |
| 1951 | #415 | 407 | #1,150 | 39 |
| 1950 | #440 | 333 | #926 | 55 |
| 1949 | #615 | 181 | #1,185 | 36 |
| 1948 | #863 | 102 | #1,194 | 36 |
| 1947 | #1,031 | 74 | #1,271 | 33 |
| 1946 | #997 | 71 | #1,509 | 22 |
| 1945 | #873 | 74 | #1,078 | 36 |
| 1944 | #1,079 | 52 | #1,212 | 30 |
| 1943 | #975 | 66 | #1,170 | 34 |
| 1942 | #1,037 | 57 | #1,244 | 31 |
| 1941 | #1,294 | 35 | #1,254 | 28 |
| 1940 | #1,218 | 36 | #1,251 | 29 |
| 1939 | #1,160 | 39 | #1,323 | 25 |
| 1938 | #1,316 | 31 | #1,310 | 26 |
| 1937 | #1,303 | 31 | #1,212 | 30 |
| 1936 | #1,741 | 19 | #1,182 | 31 |
| 1935 | #1,845 | 18 | #1,295 | 27 |
| 1934 | #1,913 | 17 | #1,357 | 25 |
| 1933 | #3,753 | 6 | #1,829 | 15 |
| 1932 | #1,957 | 17 | #1,465 | 23 |
| 1931 | #2,750 | 10 | #1,843 | 16 |
| 1930 | #4,047 | 6 | #1,463 | 25 |
| 1929 | — | #1,480 | 24 | |
| 1928 | #3,743 | 7 | #1,165 | 37 |
| 1927 | #2,699 | 12 | #1,748 | 20 |
| 1926 | #4,851 | 5 | #1,432 | 26 |
| 1925 | — | #1,628 | 22 | |
| 1924 | #3,393 | 9 | #1,287 | 32 |
| 1923 | #3,641 | 8 | #1,358 | 29 |
| 1922 | #4,445 | 6 | #1,952 | 17 |
| 1921 | — | #2,059 | 16 | |
| 1920 | — | #1,885 | 18 | |
| 1919 | — | #1,811 | 18 | |
| 1918 | — | #1,539 | 23 | |
| 1917 | — | #1,986 | 15 | |
| 1916 | #4,417 | 5 | #1,698 | 18 |
| 1915 | — | #1,878 | 15 | |
| 1914 | — | #1,608 | 15 | |
| 1913 | — | #1,497 | 13 | |
| 1912 | — | #1,746 | 9 | |
| 1911 | — | — | ||
| 1910 | — | — | ||
| 1909 | — | #1,083 | 8 | |
| 1908 | — | — | ||
| 1907 | — | #1,345 | 5 | |
| 1906 | — | — | ||
| 1905 | — | #1,233 | 5 | |
| 1904 | — | #874 | 8 | |
| 1903 | — | — | ||
| 1902 | — | #862 | 8 | |
| 1901 | — | #779 | 8 | |
| 1900 | — | #968 | 8 | |
| 1899 | — | #928 | 6 | |
| 1898 | — | #885 | 7 | |
| 1897 | — | #787 | 8 | |
| 1896 | — | — | ||
| 1895 | — | #978 | 6 | |
| 1894 | — | #857 | 7 | |
| 1893 | — | #705 | 9 | |
| 1892 | — | — | ||
| 1891 | — | #841 | 6 | |
| 1890 | — | #994 | 5 | |
| 1889 | — | #722 | 8 | |
| 1888 | — | — | ||
| 1887 | — | — | ||
| 1886 | — | #959 | 5 | |
| 1885 | — | — | ||
| 1884 | — | — | ||
| 1883 | — | — | ||
| 1882 | — | #754 | 7 | |
| 1881 | — | — | ||
| 1880 | — | — | ||
First appearance
1916
The first year at least five girls were named Shelly! It came in at #4,417, and was given to 5 baby girls.
Quietest stretch: 1916–1921, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.
Where Shelly is popular in 2000
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · girls
- Nebraska#297 · 1 in 1,393
- Tennessee#728 · 1 in 5,193
- Florida#886 · 1 in 6,442
- New Jersey#1,054 · 1 in 8,352
- Pennsylvania#1,062 · 1 in 9,677
Best ever in a state: #17 in Oklahoma, 1972.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | #297 | 6 | 1 in 1,393 |
| Tennessee | #728 | 6 | 1 in 5,193 |
| Florida | #886 | 12 | 1 in 6,442 |
| New Jersey | #1,054 | 5 | 1 in 8,352 |
| Pennsylvania | #1,062 | 6 | 1 in 9,677 |
| New York | #1,074 | 12 | 1 in 8,369 |
| Texas | #1,089 | 19 | 1 in 8,062 |
| Georgia | #1,118 | 6 | 1 in 8,010 |
| Ohio | #1,299 | 5 | 1 in 12,400 |
| Illinois | #1,555 | 5 | 1 in 14,248 |
| California | #1,597 | 14 | 1 in 15,988 |
| Alabama | — | — | — |
| Alaska | — | — | — |
| Arizona | — | — | — |
| Arkansas | — | — | — |
| Colorado | — | — | — |
| Connecticut | — | — | — |
| Delaware | — | — | — |
| District of Columbia | — | — | — |
| Hawaii | — | — | — |
| Idaho | — | — | — |
| Indiana | — | — | — |
| Iowa | — | — | — |
| Kansas | — | — | — |
| Kentucky | — | — | — |
| Louisiana | — | — | — |
| Maine | — | — | — |
| Maryland | — | — | — |
| Massachusetts | — | — | — |
| Michigan | — | — | — |
| Minnesota | — | — | — |
| Mississippi | — | — | — |
| Missouri | — | — | — |
| Montana | — | — | — |
| Nevada | — | — | — |
| New Hampshire | — | — | — |
| New Mexico | — | — | — |
| North Carolina | — | — | — |
| North Dakota | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma | — | — | — |
| Oregon | — | — | — |
| Rhode Island | — | — | — |
| South Carolina | — | — | — |
| South Dakota | — | — | — |
| Utah | — | — | — |
| Vermont | — | — | — |
| Virginia | — | — | — |
| Washington | — | — | — |
| West Virginia | — | — | — |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — |
| 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 Shelly
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
- 1,162 spots since 2024 (#4,560 → #5,722)
- 719 spots since 2020 (#5,003 → #5,722)
- 2,244 spots since 2015 (#3,478 → #5,722)
- Biggest jump: 248 spots in 1949 (#863 → #615)
- Biggest drop: 226 spots in 1997 (#904 → #1,130)
Rise & fade · girls
50 yrs to peak
- Debuted 1916
- Peaked 1966 at #89 (3,856 births)
- Births halved by 1976, 10 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 5 yrs
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 5 yrs · run 1965–1968
- Top 1,000: 52 yrs · run 1948–1996
Share of babies · girls
1 in 439
- Highest: 1 in 439 girls born in 1966 were named Shelly (0.23%)
- Latest: 1 in 76,537 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
Era · girls
The 1960s
- 42.2% of all girls named Shelly (35,661) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 | #4,417 (1916) | #4,417 |
| 1920s | 47 | #2,699 (1927) | #3,795 |
| 1930s | 194 | #1,160 (1939) | #2,179 |
| 1940s | 748 | #615 (1949) | #998 |
| 1950s | 8,795 | #188 (1959) | #312 |
| 1960s | 35,661 | #89 (1966) | #113 |
| 1970s | 25,533 | #94 (1972) | #128 |
| 1980s | 9,099 | #186 (1980) | #302 |
| 1990s | 2,732 | #538 (1991) | #837 |
| 2000s | 1,029 | #1,301 (2000) | #1,945 |
| 2010s | 423 | #2,976 (2010) | #3,743 |
| 2020s | 154 | #4,507 (2021) | #5,091 |
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.
Shelly in 2000
girls
#1,301
147 births · 1 in 12,354 girls
Top girls' names in 2000
More about 2000
girls
1,816,036 girls got a published name in 2000; 1 in 12,354 of them was named Shelly, which outranked 92.6% of the 17,660 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 10.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).