Selby
Selby is both a given name and surname.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Selby
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Selby is both a given name and surname.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Selby
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Selby as a girl name dates back to 1930, when 5 babies received it. 1997 was its biggest year on record, with 15 newborns named Selby — #6,162 in the national rankings. About 29% of every Selby on record arrived during the 1990s, its defining decade. Selby last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 293 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1930s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Selby as a boy name dates back to 1909, when 5 babies received it. 1922 was its biggest year on record, with 24 newborns named Selby — #1,545 in the national rankings. About 21% of every Selby on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Selby last appeared in the published SSA data in 2014, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 683 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Selby
Phonetically similar names — useful when Selby is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Selby
What does the name Selby mean?
What is the origin of the name Selby?
How popular is Selby in 2026?
When was Selby most popular?
In which U.S. states is Selby most popular?
Is Selby a unisex name?
What names go well with Selby?
About the name Selby
Selby is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1909 and has accumulated 683 births in the dataset. Selby's peak popularity came in 1922 when it ranked #1,545. Use the chart and map above to compare Selby's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1922 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.