Total births
658
Girls' name · since 1971
Shelsea
658 babies named Shelsea in U.S. Social Security records since 1971, with the highest year being 1997. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #12439
- among girls today
- 658
- born since 1971
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 30%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Shelsea is the #12439 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 658 recorded since 1971.
Social Security Administration records show Shelsea recorded 658 times among girls since 1971, holding rank #12439 nationally today, ahead of 30% 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 1971 to 2025.
- #12439 among girls today
- 658 born since 1971
- 1990s peak decade
- 30% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shelsea is currently the #12439 girls' name in America, more common than 30% of girls - 658 born since 1971, peaking in the 1990s.
- #12439
- among girls today
- 658
- born since 1971
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 30%
- more common than other girls
Shelsea vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#12439
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 30% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Shelsea was born in this single decade.
1997
Single peak year
36 babies were named Shelsea in 1997 - its busiest year on record.
How Shelsea compares
658 Top 39% higher than 61% 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
Shelsea's all-time total is 72% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shelsea | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 658 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 36 | 48 | 19,840 |
Shelsea's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shelsea splits its recorded history at 2001: 48% of all births land in the more recent half, 52% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1971 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1997 peak of 36 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shelsea at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1997
Current rank
#12,439
Active since
1971
Shelsea popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1971–2025
- Peak year (1997)
- 36
- Annual births at peak, across 55 years of records
Shelsea by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Shelsea's strongest decade.
230 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Shelsea births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 11
1970s
11 births
- 1980s 70
1980s
70 births
- 1990s
1990s
230 births
- 2000s
2000s
217 births
- 2010s
2010s
113 births
- 2020s 17
2020s
17 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 230 births (35% of all-time use).
How Shelsea 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 Shelsea's total volume
Shelsea vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shelsea by state
Where Shelsea concentrates geographically, total births since 1971
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 101 | 15.3% |
| #2 | Texas | | 27 | 4.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 20 | 3.0% |
| #4 | Florida | | 10 | 1.5% |
California share of Shelsea's total US births 15.3%
Even split
101 of 658 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shelsea? ▼
Since 1971, Social Security records show 658 babies named Shelsea. Today it holds rank #12439 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1997, with 36 births.
When was Shelsea most popular? ▼
Shelsea was most popular in the 1990s decade with 230 total births. The single peak year was 1997.
Where is Shelsea most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shelsea are California (101 births), Texas (27 births), New York (20 births).
How long has the name Shelsea been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Shelsea since 1971 -- 55 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Shelsea? ▼
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 Shelsea's data
- Shelsea's decade-level peak was the 1990s (230 total births); usage has since declined to 17 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Shelseas (101 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 Shelsea
Nearby Names Like Shelsea
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shelsea
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 Shelsea side by side: Shelsea vs Sheila Shelsea vs Sherry Shelsea vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shelsea
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, 1971–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shelsea: #12439 Girls' Name - 658 Births, Peak 1997." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shelsea. 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 Shelsea 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.