Total births
72,586
Girls' name · since 1892
Shelley
72,586 babies named Shelley in U.S. Social Security records since 1892, with the highest year being 1964. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #8977
- among girls today
- 72,586
- born since 1892
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other girls
72,586 babies have been named Shelley since 1892, making it today's #8977 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Shelley recorded 72,586 times among girls since 1892, holding rank #8977 nationally today, ahead of 49% of girls, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1892 to 2025.
- #8977 among girls today
- 72,586 born since 1892
- 1960s peak decade
- 49% more common than other girls
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
Shelley is currently the #8977 girls' name in America, more common than 49% of girls - 72,586 born since 1892, peaking in the 1960s.
- #8977
- among girls today
- 72,586
- born since 1892
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other girls
Shelley vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8977
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 49% of names given to girls today.
1960s
Peak decade
34% of everyone ever named Shelley was born in this single decade.
1964
Single peak year
2,821 babies were named Shelley in 1964 - its busiest year on record.
How Shelley compares
72,586 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Shelley's all-time total is 190x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shelley | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 72,586 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 2,821 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shelley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shelley's full recorded timeline at 1969, 40% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 60% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1898, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1964 peak of 2,821 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shelley at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1964
Current rank
#8,977
Active since
1892
Shelley popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1892–2025
- Peak year (1964)
- 2,821
- Annual births at peak, across 134 years of records
Shelley popularity over time - boys
1,753 total births recorded since 1893 (Shelley as boys' name)
Shelley by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Shelley's strongest decade.
24,856 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 34% of all-time use.
Shelley births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1890s 11
1890s
11 births
- 1900s 5
1900s
5 births
- 1910s 32
1910s
32 births
- 1920s 95
1920s
95 births
- 1930s 363
1930s
363 births
- 1940s 2,473
1940s
2,473 births
- 1950s
1950s
18,226 births
- 1960s
1960s
24,856 births
- 1970s
1970s
17,283 births
- 1980s 6,814
1980s
6,814 births
- 1990s 1,757
1990s
1,757 births
- 2000s 431
2000s
431 births
- 2010s 174
2010s
174 births
- 2020s 66
2020s
66 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 24,856 births (34% of all-time use).
How Shelley 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 Shelley's total volume
Shelley vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shelley by state
Where Shelley concentrates geographically, total births since 1892
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 8,181 | 11.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 4,885 | 6.7% |
| #3 | New York | | 4,244 | 5.8% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 4,185 | 5.8% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 3,892 | 5.4% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 2,966 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 2,918 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Washington | | 2,243 | 3.1% |
California share of Shelley's total US births 11.3%
Even split
8,181 of 72,586 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Shelley appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shelley? ▼
Shelley has been given to 72,586 babies in the U.S. since 1892, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #8977 as of the latest data. 2,821 babies were born in 1964, its single highest year.
When was Shelley most popular? ▼
Shelley was most popular in the 1960s decade with 24,856 total births. The single peak year was 1964.
Where is Shelley most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shelley are California (8,181 births), Texas (4,885 births), New York (4,244 births).
How long has the name Shelley been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Shelley since 1892 -- 134 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Shelley? ▼
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 Shelley's data
- Shelley's decade-level peak was the 1960s (24,856 total births); usage has since declined to 66 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shelleys (8,181 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Shelley
Nearby Names Like Shelley
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shelley
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 Shelley side by side: Shelley vs Sheila Shelley vs Sherry Shelley vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shelley
Data Sources
Data as of July 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, 1892–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shelley: #8977 Girls' Name - 72,586 Births, Peak 1964." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shelley. 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 Shelley 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 July 2026.