Girls' name · since 1936
Shelva
Since 1936, U.S. Social Security records show 1,117 babies named Shelva, peaking in 1937. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- 1,117
- total births
- 1936–1980
- years on record
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 49%
- born in that decade
1,117 girls have been named Shelva since 1936, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shelva has been recorded 1,117 times among girls since 1936, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1930s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1936 to 1980.
- 1,117 total births
- 1936–1980 years on record
- 1930s peak decade
- 49% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
Shelva's 1,117 recorded births place it above 90% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
14 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by West Virginia.
Shelva's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shelva splits its recorded history at 1955: 15% of all births land in the more recent half, 85% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1968 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1937 peak of 194 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shelva popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1936–1980
- Peak year (1937)
- 194
- Annual births at peak, across 45 years of records
Shelva popularity over time - boys
14 total births recorded since 1936 (Shelva as boys' name)
Shelva by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Shelva's strongest decade.
546 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 49% of all-time use.
Shelva births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s
1930s
546 births
- 1940s
1940s
329 births
- 1950s 138
1950s
138 births
- 1960s 64
1960s
64 births
- 1970s 35
1970s
35 births
- 1980s 5
1980s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 546 births (49% of all-time use).
How Shelva 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 Shelva's total volume
Shelva vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Shelva by state
Where Shelva concentrates geographically, total births since 1936
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | West Virginia | | 158 | 14.1% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 131 | 11.7% |
| #3 | Virginia | | 80 | 7.2% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 56 | 5.0% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 51 | 4.6% |
| #6 | Georgia | | 38 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 28 | 2.5% |
| #8 | Kentucky | | 21 | 1.9% |
158 of 1,117 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 14 reporting states.
Shelva appears in 14 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Shelva's data
- Shelva's decade-level peak was the 1930s (546 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- West Virginia records the most Shelvas (158 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. West Virginia 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 Shelva
Nearby Names Like Shelva
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shelva
Compare Shelva side by side: Shelva vs Sheila Shelva vs Sherry Shelva vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
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, 1936–1980 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac. "Shelva: Baby Name Since 1936 - 1,117 Births, Peak 1937." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shelva. 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 Shelva 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.