Total births
5,496
Girls' name · since 1961
Shelbi
5,496 babies named Shelbi in U.S. Social Security records since 1961, with the highest year being 1992. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #15638
- among girls today
- 5,496
- born since 1961
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other girls
Shelbi currently ranks #15638 among girls' names in America, with 5,496 babies recorded since 1961.
Social Security Administration records show Shelbi recorded 5,496 times among girls since 1961, holding rank #15638 nationally today, ahead of 12% of girls, 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 1961 to 2025.
- #15638 among girls today
- 5,496 born since 1961
- 1990s peak decade
- 12% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shelbi is currently the #15638 girls' name in America, more common than 12% of girls - 5,496 born since 1961, peaking in the 1990s.
- #15638
- among girls today
- 5,496
- born since 1961
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 12%
- more common than other girls
Shelbi vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#15638
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 12% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
63% of everyone ever named Shelbi was born in this single decade.
1992
Single peak year
515 babies were named Shelbi in 1992 - its busiest year on record.
How Shelbi compares
5,496 Top 12% higher than 88% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Shelbi's all-time total is 14x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shelbi | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,496 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 515 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shelbi's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shelbi splits its recorded history at 1994: 58% of all births land in the more recent half, 42% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1962 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1992 peak of 515 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shelbi at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1992
Current rank
#15,638
Active since
1961
Shelbi popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1961–2025
- Peak year (1992)
- 515
- Annual births at peak, across 65 years of records
Shelbi by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Shelbi's strongest decade.
3,435 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 63% of all-time use.
Shelbi births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1960s 57
1960s
57 births
- 1970s 222
1970s
222 births
- 1980s 359
1980s
359 births
- 1990s
1990s
3,435 births
- 2000s 1,080
2000s
1,080 births
- 2010s 292
2010s
292 births
- 2020s 51
2020s
51 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 3,435 births (63% of all-time use).
How Shelbi 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 Shelbi's total volume
Shelbi vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shelbi by state
Where Shelbi concentrates geographically, total births since 1961
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 787 | 14.3% |
| #2 | California | | 330 | 6.0% |
| #3 | Louisiana | | 250 | 4.5% |
| #4 | Indiana | | 206 | 3.7% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 196 | 3.6% |
| #6 | Florida | | 192 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Oklahoma | | 169 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Missouri | | 153 | 2.8% |
Texas share of Shelbi's total US births 14.3%
Even split
787 of 5,496 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Shelbi appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shelbi? ▼
Shelbi has been given to 5,496 babies in the U.S. since 1961, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #15638 as of the latest data. 515 babies were born in 1992, its single highest year.
When was Shelbi most popular? ▼
Shelbi was most popular in the 1990s decade with 3,435 total births. The single peak year was 1992.
Where is Shelbi most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shelbi are Texas (787 births), California (330 births), Louisiana (250 births).
How long has the name Shelbi been used? ▼
Records for Shelbi go back to 1961, giving 65 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Shelbi? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sheila, Sherry, Shelby, Shelly, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Shelbi's data
- Shelbi's decade-level peak was the 1990s (3,435 total births); usage has since declined to 51 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Shelbis (787 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shelbi
Nearby Names Like Shelbi
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shelbi
Sheila Girl
#2013 238,774 births
Sherry Girl
#6948 229,937 births
Shelby Girl
#658 148,830 births
Shelly Girl
#4580 84,420 births
Sherri Girl
#8493 83,667 births
Compare Shelbi side by side: Shelbi vs Sheila Shelbi vs Sherry Shelbi vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shelbi
Karisa #15637
2,773 births · Peak 1992
Mavelyn #15639
15 births · Peak 1961
Devanie #15636
397 births · Peak 2003
Rayshell #15640
193 births · Peak 1986
Jolin #15635
425 births · Peak 2008
Tiffani #15641
14,919 births · Peak 1981
Leica #15634
28 births · Peak 2023
Melondy #15642
187 births · Peak 1977
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1961–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shelbi: #15638 Girls' Name - 5,496 Births, Peak 1992." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shelbi. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Shelbi 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 June 2026.