Total births
6,983
Girls' name · since 1945
Shelli
6,983 babies named Shelli in U.S. Social Security records since 1945, with the highest year being 1968. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 6,983
- total births
- 1945–2010
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 46%
- born in that decade
Shelli sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 6,983 recorded since 1945.
Shelli has 6,983 recorded births among girls since 1945, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1960s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1945 to 2010.
- 6,983 total births
- 1945–2010 years on record
- 1960s peak decade
- 46% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
6,983 girls have been named Shelli since 1945, peaking in the 1960s, last recorded in 2010.
- 6,983
- total births
- 1945–2010
- years on record
- 1960s
- peak decade
- 46%
- born in that decade
1960s
Peak decade
46% of everyone ever named Shelli was born in this single decade.
1968
Single peak year
396 babies were named Shelli in 1968 - its busiest year on record.
Shelli's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Shelli's SSA record in two at 1976 and the more recent half accounts for 23% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 77%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1946, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1968 peak of 396, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Shelli at a glance
Last recorded 2010Peak year
1968
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1945
Shelli popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1945–2010
- Peak year (1968)
- 396
- Annual births at peak, across 66 years of records
Shelli by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1960s was Shelli's strongest decade.
3,217 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 46% of all-time use.
Shelli births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 37
1940s
37 births
- 1950s 544
1950s
544 births
- 1960s
1960s
3,217 births
- 1970s
1970s
2,149 births
- 1980s 769
1980s
769 births
- 1990s 216
1990s
216 births
- 2000s 44
2000s
44 births
- 2010s 7
2010s
7 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 3,217 births (46% of all-time use).
How Shelli 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 Shelli's total volume
Shelli vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shelli by state
Where Shelli concentrates geographically, total births since 1945
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 881 | 12.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 582 | 8.3% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 339 | 4.9% |
| #4 | Oklahoma | | 278 | 4.0% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 272 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Washington | | 224 | 3.2% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 216 | 3.1% |
| #8 | Indiana | | 209 | 3.0% |
California share of Shelli's total US births 12.6%
Even split
881 of 6,983 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 39 reporting states.
Shelli appears in 39 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shelli? ▼
Shelli has been given to 6,983 babies in the U.S. since 1945, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2010. 396 babies were born in 1968, its single highest year.
When was Shelli most popular? ▼
Shelli was most popular in the 1960s decade with 3,217 total births. The single peak year was 1968.
Where is Shelli most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shelli are California (881 births), Texas (582 births), Ohio (339 births).
How long has the name Shelli been used? ▼
Records for Shelli go back to 1945, giving 66 years of history through 2010.
What names are similar to Shelli? ▼
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 Shelli's data
- Shelli's decade-level peak was the 1960s (3,217 total births); usage has since declined to 7 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shellis (881 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 Shelli
Nearby Names Like Shelli
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shelli
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 Shelli side by side: Shelli vs Sheila Shelli vs Sherry Shelli vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1945–2010 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shelli: Baby Name Since 1945 - 6,983 Births, Peak 1968." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shelli. 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 Shelli 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.