Sheldon
Sheldon was the 2788th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 46 babies. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked 247th; the most babies were born in 1992 (608). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,507 places. More babies were named Sheldon in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning "shelf-hill" (place-name) · Old English, English
Say it SHEL-dun /ˈʃɛldən/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,788 boys, down 897 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 46boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1992608 babies
- Total since 1880
- 37,172babies recorded
What does the name Sheldon mean?
Sheldon is an English place-name surname. Wiktionary takes the place-names from Old English scylf, "shelf, ledge", and dūn, "hill", or denu, "valley"; several English villages are called Sheldon. It became a first name in the US in the early 20th century and was most common in the 1930s.
scylf (Old English, “shelf, ledge”)dūn (Old English, “hill”)
How sure is this? Probable. Different Sheldons have slightly different place-name origins.
Related names: Shelton, Shelby.
See also: English names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Sheldon', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Sheldon (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Sheldon
The usual nicknames for Sheldon are Shelly.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelly · also for Michelle | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Sheldons go by each one.
Sheldon popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 496 since 1931.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,788 | 46 |
| 2020 | #1,891 | 79 |
| 2010 | #987 | 200 |
| 2000 | #623 | 301 |
| 1990 | #441 | 501 |
| 1980 | #469 | 321 |
| 1970 | #392 | 416 |
| 1960 | #402 | 390 |
| 1950 | #335 | 404 |
| 1940 | #286 | 384 |
| 1930 | #282 | 405 |
| 1920 | #424 | 200 |
| 1910 | #816 | 15 |
| 1900 | #727 | 13 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Sheldon, counting every spelling?
Sheldon has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Sheldon?
46 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Sheldon (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Sheldon born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 182 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Sheldon.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Sheldon?
About 23,400 people born in the US named Sheldon are alive today, with a median age of 45; half are between 30 and 63. That makes Sheldon mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Sheldon by state
How common Sheldon was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. In 44 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Sheldon: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Sheldon, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Sheldon · Sibling names for Sheldon
Questions about the name Sheldon
What does Sheldon mean?
Sheldon means “"shelf-hill" (place-name)” (Old English, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Sheldon?
Sheldon was the 2788th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 46 babies. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked 247th; the most babies were born in 1992 (608). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,507 places. More babies were named Sheldon in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Sheldon a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Sheldon in the US.
Where is Sheldon most popular?
In 2021–2025, Sheldon was most common in Pennsylvania (0.06 per 1,000 boys), followed by Florida and Louisiana.