Girls' name · since 1981
Shelbey
896 babies named Shelbey in U.S. Social Security records since 1981, with the highest year being 1992. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8,097 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 896
- born since 1981
- 1990s
- peak decade
896 girls have been named Shelbey since 1981, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Shelbey recorded 896 times among girls since 1981, 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 1981 to 2014.
- #8,097 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 896 born since 1981
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shelbey ranks #8,097 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 896 born since 1981, peaking in the 1990s.
- #8,097 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 896
- born since 1981
- 1990s
- peak decade
Shelbey's 896 recorded births place it above 88.8% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
13 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
Shelbey's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shelbey splits its recorded history at 1999: 28% of all births land in the more recent half, 72% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1984 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1992 peak of 94 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shelbey popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1981–2014
- Peak year (1992)
- 94
- Annual births at peak, across 34 years of records
Shelbey by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (646 births, 72% of the file).
1990s was Shelbey's strongest decade.
646 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 72% of all-time use.
Shelbey births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 47
1980s
47 births
- 1990s
1990s
646 births
- 2000s 167
2000s
167 births
- 2010s 36
2010s
36 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 646 births (72% of all-time use).
How Shelbey compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Shelbey's total volume
Shelbey by state
Where Shelbey concentrates geographically, total births since 1981
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 84 | 9.4% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 17 | 1.9% |
| #3 | Florida | | 16 | 1.8% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 16 | 1.8% |
| #5 | Louisiana | | 12 | 1.3% |
| #6 | Missouri | | 11 | 1.2% |
| #7 | Utah | | 10 | 1.1% |
| #8 | California | | 8 | 0.9% |
84 of 896 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 13 reporting states.
Shelbey appears in 13 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shelbey? ▼
Where does Shelbey sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shelbey most popular? ▼
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What to do with Shelbey's data
- Shelbey's decade-level peak was the 1990s (646 total births); usage has since declined to 36 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Shelbeys (84 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shelbey
Nearby Names Like Shelbey
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shelbey
Compare Shelbey side by side: Shelbey vs Sheila Shelbey vs Sherry Shelbey 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 Shelbey: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1992)
Similar record span (~33 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, 1981–2014 (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 Shelbey 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.