Girls' name · since 1986
Shellby
496 babies named Shellby in U.S. Social Security records since 1986, with the highest year being 1991. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #11,924 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 496
- born since 1986
- 1990s
- peak decade
Shellby sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 496 recorded since 1986.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shellby has been recorded 496 times among girls since 1986, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1990s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1986 to 2016.
- #11,924 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 496 born since 1986
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shellby ranks #11,924 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 496 born since 1986, peaking in the 1990s.
- #11,924 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 496
- born since 1986
- 1990s
- peak decade
Shellby's 496 recorded births place it above 83.51% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 3 jurisdictions, led by California.
Shellby's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shellby's full recorded timeline at 2000, 37% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 63% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1989, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1991 peak of 43 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shellby popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1986–2016
- Peak year (1991)
- 43
- Annual births at peak, across 31 years of records
Shellby by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (294 births, 59% of the file).
1990s was Shellby's strongest decade.
294 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 59% of all-time use.
Shellby births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1980s 18
1980s
18 births
- 1990s
1990s
294 births
- 2000s
2000s
146 births
- 2010s 38
2010s
38 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 294 births (59% of all-time use).
Shellby by state
Where Shellby concentrates geographically, total births since 1986
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 14 | 2.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 11 | 2.2% |
| #3 | Michigan | | 5 | 1.0% |
14 of 496 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 3 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Shellby's data
- Shellby's decade-level peak was the 1990s (294 total births); usage has since declined to 38 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shellbys (14 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shellby
Nearby Names Like Shellby
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shellby
Compare Shellby side by side: Shellby vs Sheila Shellby vs Sherry Shellby 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 Shellby: 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 (~30 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, 1986–2016 (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 Shellby 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.