Unisex name · since 1951
Shell
Since 1951, U.S. Social Security records show 198 babies named Shell, peaking in 1965. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #19,930 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 198
- born since 1951
- 1960s
- peak decade
Shell sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 198 recorded since 1951.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shell has been recorded 198 times among girls since 1951, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1960s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1951 to 1986.
- #19,930 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 198 born since 1951
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shell ranks #19,930 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 198 born since 1951, peaking in the 1960s.
- #19,930 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 198
- born since 1951
- 1960s
- peak decade
Shell's 198 recorded births place it above 72.44% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Shell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shell's full recorded timeline at 1966, 46% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 54% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1951, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1965 peak of 16 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shell popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1951–1986
- Peak year (1965)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 36 years of records
Shell popularity over time - boys
113 total births recorded since 1952 (Shell as boys' name)
Shell by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (111 births, 56% of the file).
1960s was Shell's strongest decade.
111 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 56% of all-time use.
Shell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 34
1950s
34 births
- 1960s
1960s
111 births
- 1970s 38
1970s
38 births
- 1980s 15
1980s
15 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 111 births (56% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shell? ▼
Where does Shell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shell most popular? ▼
Is Shell a unisex name? ▼
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What names are similar to Shell? ▼
What to do with Shell's data
- Shell's decade-level peak was the 1960s (111 total births); usage has since declined to 15 in the 1980s -- 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 Shell
Nearby Names Like Shell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shell
Compare Shell side by side: Shell vs Sheila Shell vs Sherry Shell 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 Shell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1965)
Similar record span (~35 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, 1951–1986 (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 Shell 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.