Boys' name · since 1880
Shelton
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 11,973 babies named Shelton, peaking in 1972. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,086 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,710 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 11,973
- born since 1880
- 1970s
- peak decade
Yes -- Shelton is the #4710 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 11,973 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shelton has been recorded 11,973 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #4710 nationally and more common than 66% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #1,086 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #4,710 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 11,973 born since 1880
- 1970s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shelton ranks #1,086 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #4,710 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 11,973 born since 1880, peaking in the 1970s.
- #1,086 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #4,710 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 11,973
- born since 1880
- 1970s
- peak decade
Shelton's 11,973 recorded births place it above 97.61% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
24 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by North Carolina.
How Shelton compares
11,973 Top 8% higher than 92% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Shelton's all-time total is 32x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shelton | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 11,973 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 179 | 34 | 22,252 |
Shelton's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shelton's full recorded timeline at 1955, 66% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 34% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1888, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1972 peak of 179 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shelton popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1972)
- 179
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Shelton popularity over time - girls
172 total births recorded since 1943 (Shelton as girls' name)
Shelton by decade
1970s is the heaviest window (1,511 births, 13% of the file).
1970s was Shelton's strongest decade.
1,511 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Shelton births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 61
1880s
61 births
- 1890s 55
1890s
55 births
- 1900s 103
1900s
103 births
- 1910s 478
1910s
478 births
- 1920s
1920s
777 births
- 1930s
1930s
834 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,107 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,361 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,483 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,511 births
- 1980s
1980s
1,246 births
- 1990s
1990s
1,358 births
- 2000s
2000s
934 births
- 2010s 513
2010s
513 births
- 2020s 152
2020s
152 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 1,511 births (13% of all-time use).
How Shelton compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Shelton's total volume
Shelton by state
Where Shelton concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 1,613 | 13.5% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 1,081 | 9.0% |
| #3 | Texas | | 770 | 6.4% |
| #4 | Florida | | 585 | 4.9% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 566 | 4.7% |
| #6 | Mississippi | | 553 | 4.6% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 551 | 4.6% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 339 | 2.8% |
1,613 of 11,973 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 24 reporting states.
Shelton appears in 24 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shelton? ▼
Where does Shelton sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shelton most popular? ▼
Where is Shelton most popular? ▼
How long has the name Shelton been used? ▼
What names are similar to Shelton? ▼
What to do with Shelton's data
- Shelton's decade-level peak was the 1970s (1,511 total births); usage has since declined to 152 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Sheltons (1,613 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shelton
Nearby Names Like Shelton
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shelton
Compare Shelton side by side: Shelton vs Sherman Shelton vs Sheldon Shelton vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shelton
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shelton: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1972)
Similar record span (~145 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, 1880–2025 (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 Shelton 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.