Shelley
Shelley was the 8280th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 13 babies. Its best year was 1972, when it ranked 126th; the most babies were born in 1964 (2,821). Over the last ten years it has moved up 597 places. More babies were named Shelley in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Shelly) ledge clearing (from Shelley) · English, Old English
- Rank in 2025
- #8,280 girls, down 760 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 13girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19642,821 babies
- Total since 1880
- 74,339babies recorded
What does the name Shelley mean?
Shelley is a spelling of Shelly, pronounced the same way, so it shares Shelly's meaning and origin.
Shelly is a variant of Shelley, an English surname from places named Shelley, from Old English scylf 'shelf, ledge, slope' and lēah 'clearing'. Wiktionary notes it was mostly a boys' name before 1930 and a girls' name after; the poets Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley made the surname famous. For girls it was also used as a short form of Michelle and Rochelle.
scylf (Old English, “shelf, ledge”)lēah (Old English, “clearing”)
How sure is this? Probable. The place-name analysis is standard; some girls' uses are short forms instead.
Related names: Shelley, Michelle, Rochelle.
See also: English names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Shelly', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Shelley', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Shelley popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,753 since 1893.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #8,280 | 13 |
| 2020 | #7,520 | 15 |
| 2010 | #5,086 | 28 |
| 2000 | #2,274 | 69 |
| 1990 | #706 | 298 |
| 1980 | #226 | 1,131 |
| 1970 | #144 | 2,351 |
| 1960 | #182 | 2,139 |
| 1950 | #170 | 1,670 |
| 1940 | #911 | 63 |
| 1930 | #2,290 | 15 |
| 1920 | #3,069 | 11 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Shelley, counting every spelling?
Shelley is a spelling of Shelly, a name family that had 34 girls in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 34 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelly | 21 | #5,884 | 129 |
| Shelley | 13 | #8,280 | 51 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Shelley?
13 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Shelley (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Shelley 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 646 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Shelley.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Shelley?
About 62,900 people born in the US named Shelley are alive today, with a median age of 59; half are between 52 and 67. That makes Shelley a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Shelley: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Shelley, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Shelley
What does Shelley mean?
Shelley is a spelling of Shelly, which means “ledge clearing (from Shelley)” (English, Old English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Shelley?
Shelley was the 8280th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 13 babies. Its best year was 1972, when it ranked 126th; the most babies were born in 1964 (2,821). Over the last ten years it has moved up 597 places. More babies were named Shelley in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Shelley a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Shelley in the US.