Shelby
Girl name · #649 in 2025 · Rare
Shelby ranks #649 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 444 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #299, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,054 girls born in 2025 was named Shelby.
Babies named Shelby per year. Source: SSA.
The 112-year story
Shelby first appears in the Social Security records in 1913, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1991, when 10,220 girls were named Shelby — good for #33 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Shelby against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Shelby in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Shelby is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Shelby will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Shelby is most common
Geography matters for names, and Shelby is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Shelby is most common in WV (2 per 1,000), TN (0.8 per 1,000), AL (0.8 per 1,000), KY (0.7 per 1,000), UT (0.6 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Shelby is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Shelby
Statistically, parents drawn to Shelby tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Kelsey, Briana, Sierra, Hayley, and Jordan.
KelseyBrianaSierraHayleyJordanKarinaHaleyMarina
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Shelby | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 444 | #649 |
| 2024 | 446 | #657 |
| 2023 | 448 | #656 |
| 2022 | 503 | #595 |
| 2021 | 556 | #549 |
| 2020 | 606 | #501 |
| 2019 | 634 | #495 |
| 2018 | 738 | #424 |
| 2017 | 836 | #373 |
| 2016 | 986 | #337 |
| 2015 | 1,080 | #299 |
| 2014 | 1,114 | #294 |
| 2013 | 1,239 | #259 |
| 2012 | 1,447 | #220 |
| 2011 | 1,462 | #217 |
| 2010 | 1,680 | #184 |
| 2009 | 1,935 | #167 |
| 2008 | 2,148 | #158 |
| 2007 | 2,351 | #149 |
| 2006 | 2,620 | #133 |
| 2005 | 2,839 | #117 |
| 2004 | 2,988 | #112 |
| 2003 | 3,537 | #94 |
| 2002 | 3,961 | #75 |
| 2001 | 4,370 | #68 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Shelby a popular girl name?
Shelby ranked #649 among girls in 2025 with 444 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #299.
When was the name Shelby most popular?
Shelby peaked in 1991, when 10,220 American girls received the name (ranked #33 that year). Since 1991 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Shelby?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,054 newborn American girls was named Shelby. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.