Unisex name · since 1909
Selby
Selby has 688 recorded births since 1909 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1922 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6,515 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,067 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 688
- born since 1909
- 1920s
- peak decade
Yes -- Selby is the #12067 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 688 recorded since 1909.
Social Security Administration records show Selby recorded 688 times among boys since 1909, holding rank #12067 nationally today, ahead of 13% of boys, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1909 to 2025.
- #6,515 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #12,067 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 688 born since 1909
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Selby ranks #6,515 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #12,067 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 688 born since 1909, peaking in the 1920s.
- #6,515 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #12,067 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 688
- born since 1909
- 1920s
- peak decade
Selby's 688 recorded births place it above 85.66% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 1 jurisdictions, led by North Carolina.
How Selby compares
688 Top 38% higher than 62% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Selby's all-time total is 86% above the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Selby | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 688 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 24 | 34 | 22,252 |
Selby's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Selby's SSA record in two at 1952 and the more recent half accounts for 38% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 62%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1909, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1922 peak of 24, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Selby popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2025
- Peak year (1922)
- 24
- Annual births at peak, across 117 years of records
Selby popularity over time - girls
293 total births recorded since 1930 (Selby as girls' name)
Selby by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (142 births, 21% of the file).
1920s was Selby's strongest decade.
142 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Selby births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s
1910s
82 births
- 1920s
1920s
142 births
- 1930s
1930s
108 births
- 1940s
1940s
75 births
- 1950s
1950s
78 births
- 1960s 53
1960s
53 births
- 1970s 40
1970s
40 births
- 1980s 17
1980s
17 births
- 1990s 54
1990s
54 births
- 2000s 19
2000s
19 births
- 2010s 10
2010s
10 births
- 2020s 5
2020s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 142 births (21% of all-time use).
How Selby compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Selby's total volume
Selby by state
Where Selby concentrates geographically, total births since 1909
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 16 | 2.3% |
16 of 688 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Selby? ▼
Where does Selby sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Selby most popular? ▼
Where is Selby most popular? ▼
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What to do with Selby's data
- Selby's decade-level peak was the 1920s (142 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Selbys (16 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Selby
Nearby Names Like Selby
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Selby
Compare Selby side by side: Selby vs Selvin Selby vs Selwyn Selby vs Selim
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Selby
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Selby: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1922)
Similar record span (~116 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1909–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Selby draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.