Shell
The Story of Shell
As a girl name
Shell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1951, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1965, when 16 Shells were born — ranking #3,149 that year. As of 2026, Shell ranks #10,911 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 198 Shells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Shell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1952, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1963, when 16 Shells were born — ranking #2,043 that year. As of 2026, Shell ranks #4,375 for boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 113 Shells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shell
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shell 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 Shell
What does the name Shell mean?
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About the name Shell
Shell is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1951 and has accumulated 198 births in the dataset. Shell's peak popularity came in 1965 when it ranked #3,149. Use the chart and map above to compare Shell's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1965 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl 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.