Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1964

Shelley

Meaning clearing on a bank Gender Girl · 2% boys Rank 2025 #8,280

From Old English, meaning "clearing on a bank".

Rank 2025
#8,280
among girls · ↑1,190 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
13
named Shelley
How common
1 in 123,636
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1964
2,845 babies
All-time total
74,339
#469 all-time among girls
First recorded
1892
in Social Security records

Shelley popularity over time

74,339 babies have been named Shelley since 1892, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.511.5218801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – – – –
1890s 11 39 50 5 – #1,428
1900s 5 53 58 6 +16% #2,502
1910s 32 154 186 19 +221% #3,367
1920s 95 202 297 30 +60% #2,486
1930s 363 172 535 54 +80% #923
1940s 2,473 236 2,709 271 +406% #233
1950s 18,226 308 18,534 1,853 +584% #161
1960s 24,856 233 25,089 2,509 +35% #129
1970s 17,283 236 17,519 1,752 -30% #126
1980s 6,814 84 6,898 690 -61% #226
1990s 1,757 31 1,788 179 -74% #706
2000s 431 5 436 44 -76% #2,274
2010s 174 – 174 17 -60% #5,086
2020s (to 2025) 66 – 66 11 -37% #7,520

The story of Shelley

Shelley is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #8,280 in 2025 with 13 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1892, 74,339 American babies have been named Shelley. Its peak came in 1964, when 2,845 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1960s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Shelley stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Shelley?

The median living Shelley is about 59 years old; half are between 51 and 66. An estimated 66 thousand people named Shelley are alive in the United States today.

median 59 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Shelley year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 13 #8,280 – –
2024 11 #9,470 – –
2023 9 #11,051 – –
2022 7 #13,381 – –
2021 11 #9,457 – –
2020 15 #7,520 – –
2019 12 #9,038 – –
2018 12 #9,074 – –
2017 12 #9,269 – –
2016 17 #7,193 – –
2015 13 #8,877 – –
2014 21 #6,181 – –
2013 16 #7,698 – –
2012 17 #7,415 – –
2011 26 #5,338 – –
2010 28 #5,086 – –
2009 30 #4,914 – –
2008 36 #4,345 – –
2007 35 #4,370 – –
2006 40 #3,845 – –
2005 38 #3,863 – –
2004 42 #3,560 – –
2003 42 #3,459 – –
2002 39 #3,519 – –
2001 60 #2,565 5 #12,037
2000 69 #2,274 – –
1995 155 #1,138 10 #5,844
1990 298 #706 6 #7,966
1985 569 #395 9 #4,640
1980 1,131 #226 16 #2,937
1975 1,547 #171 24 #1,992
1970 2,351 #144 28 #1,651
1965 2,528 #148 19 #1,851
1960 2,139 #182 15 #2,194
1955 1,738 #192 26 #1,533
1950 1,670 #170 32 #1,286
1945 171 #562 28 #1,265
1940 63 #911 19 #1,617
1935 43 #1,070 15 #1,909
1930 15 #2,290 19 #1,744
1925 6 #4,887 16 #2,074
1920 11 #3,069 21 #1,737
1915 8 #3,391 29 #1,238
1910 – – 10 #1,106
1905 – – 6 #1,215
1900 – – 9 #962
1895 – – 7 #967
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Famous people named Shelley

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Shelley Fabares Shelley Fabares American actress and singer (1944–2026) Contemporary
  2. 2 Shelley Duvall Shelley Duvall American actress and producer (1949–2024) Contemporary
  3. 3 Shelley Long Shelley Long American actress and comedian (born 1949) Contemporary
  4. 4 Shelley Winters Shelley Winters American actress (1920–2006) Contemporary
  5. 5 Shelley Hennig Shelley Hennig American actress and model (born 1987) Contemporary
  6. 6 Shelley Conn Shelley Conn English actress b. 1976 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Shelley Hack Shelley Hack American actress b. 1947 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Shelley Moore Capito Shelley Moore Capito American politician (born 1953) Contemporary
  9. 9 Shelley Berman Shelley Berman American comedian, actor, writer and teacher (1925–2017) Contemporary
  10. 10 Shelley Morrison Shelley Morrison American actress (1936–2019) Contemporary
  11. 11 Shelley Lubben Shelley Lubben Author, singer, motivational speaker, and former pornographic actress 1968–2019 · Contemporary
  12. 12 Shelley McNamara Shelley McNamara Irish architect b. 1952 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Shelley, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Shelley?

The median living Shelley is about 59 years old. Half of all living Shelleys are between 51 and 66 years old.

How many people named Shelley are alive today?

An estimated 66 thousand people named Shelley are alive in the United States, based on 74,339 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Shelley mean?

From Old English, meaning "clearing on a bank".

How popular is the name Shelley in 2025?

Shelley ranked #8,280 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 13 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Shelley?

74,339 babies have been named Shelley in the United States since 1892, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Shelley most popular?

Shelley peaked in 1964, when 2,845 newborns received the name.

Is Shelley a boy or girl name?

Shelley is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 98% of babies with the name.

Is the name Shelley rising or falling?

Shelley is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Who are famous people named Shelley?

Well-known people named Shelley include Shelley Fabares (actor), Shelley Duvall (actor), Shelley Long (actor).

Names like Shelley

Names that sound and feel close to Shelley: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Shelley with similar names → More names starting with S →