Girls' name · since 1973
Shelbe
Shelbe has 336 recorded births since 1973 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1991 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #15,001 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 336
- born since 1973
- 1990s
- peak decade
Shelbe is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 336 have been recorded since 1973.
Social Security Administration records show Shelbe recorded 336 times among girls since 1973, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1973 to 2007.
- #15,001 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 336 born since 1973
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shelbe ranks #15,001 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 336 born since 1973, peaking in the 1990s.
- #15,001 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 336
- born since 1973
- 1990s
- peak decade
Shelbe's 336 recorded births place it above 79.25% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Shelbe's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shelbe's full recorded timeline at 1996, 47% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 53% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1973, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1991 peak of 35 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shelbe popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1973–2007
- Peak year (1991)
- 35
- Annual births at peak, across 35 years of records
Shelbe by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (230 births, 68% of the file).
1990s was Shelbe's strongest decade.
230 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 68% of all-time use.
Shelbe births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 10
1970s
10 births
- 1980s 24
1980s
24 births
- 1990s
1990s
230 births
- 2000s 72
2000s
72 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 230 births (68% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shelbe? ▼
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What to do with Shelbe's data
- Shelbe's decade-level peak was the 1990s (230 total births); usage has since declined to 72 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shelbe
Nearby Names Like Shelbe
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shelbe
Compare Shelbe side by side: Shelbe vs Sheila Shelbe vs Sherry Shelbe vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shelbe: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1991)
Similar record span (~34 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, 1973–2007 (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 Shelbe 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.