ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1916

First Year

2026

Last Year

1964

Peak Year

#89

Peak Rank

84K

Total Count

104

Years Active

📖

## The Story of Shelly

Shelly first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1916, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1964, when 4,081 Shellys were born — ranking #101 that year. As of 2026, Shelly ranks #4,822 for baby girls with 28 births, gradually falling (-9%). In total, more than 84K Shellys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## Names that sound like Shelly

Phonetically similar names — useful when Shelly is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Shelley](/shelley)
* [Shellie](/shellie)
* [Shelli](/shelli)
* [Schelly](/schelly)
* Shilly
* [Shiley](/shiley)
* Shaly
* Shily
* Shyly
* [Challis](/challis)
* [Shela](/shela)
* [Shally](/shally)

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Shelly

What does the name Shelly mean?

Shelly is a girl's name that has been used in U.S. records since 1916\. Behind the Name doesn't list a specific etymology, but the name has remained in use across multiple decades.

How popular is Shelly in 2026?

In 2026, Shelly ranks #4,822 among girls' names in the U.S., with 28 babies given the name that year.

When was Shelly most popular?

Shelly reached its peak popularity in 1964, ranking #89 that year with 4,081 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Shelly most popular?

Shelly has historically been most popular in Oklahoma, Idaho, Utah. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Shelly.

Is Shelly a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Shelly is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Shelly?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Shelly include Yolanda, Belle, Joanna. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧YolandaPeak #89](/yolanda)[👧BellePeak #90](/belle)[👧JoannaPeak #88](/joanna)[👧VelmaPeak #88](/velma)[👧FeliciaPeak #90](/felicia)[👧MaureenPeak #88](/maureen)[👧DeannaPeak #88](/deanna)[👧MelodyPeak #90](/melody)

## About the name Shelly 

Shelly is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1916 and has accumulated 84K births in the dataset. Shelly's peak popularity came in 1964 when it ranked #89\. Use the chart and map above to compare Shelly's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1964 → ](/year/1964)
* [ Names of the 1960s → ](/decade/1960s)
* [ Names starting with "S" → ](/letter/s)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.