Shelba
The salema porgy, also known as the dreamfish, salema, cow bream, karanteen, salpa, saupe, strepie or goldline, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Sarpa. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and southwestern Indian Ocean.
Meaning & Origin of Shelba
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
The salema porgy, also known as the dreamfish, salema, cow bream, karanteen, salpa, saupe, strepie or goldline, is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Sparidae, which includes the seabreams and porgies. It is the only species in the monospecific genus Sarpa. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and southwestern Indian Ocean.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
The Story of Shelba
Shelba first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1935, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1937: 344 births, good for #340 nationwide. About 45% of every Shelba on record arrived during the 1930s, its defining decade. Shelba last appeared in the published SSA data in 1982, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 2K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1930s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shelba
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shelba 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 Shelba
What does the name Shelba mean?
How popular is Shelba in 2026?
When was Shelba most popular?
In which U.S. states is Shelba most popular?
Is Shelba a unisex name?
What names go well with Shelba?
About the name Shelba
Shelba is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1935 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. Shelba's peak popularity came in 1937 when it ranked #340. Use the chart and map above to compare Shelba's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1937 →
- Names of the 1930s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.