Girls' name · since 1936
Shelvia
400 babies named Shelvia in U.S. Social Security records since 1936, with the highest year being 1937. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #13,517 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 400
- born since 1936
- 1930s
- peak decade
400 girls have been named Shelvia since 1936, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Shelvia recorded 400 times among girls since 1936, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1930s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1936 to 1981.
- #13,517 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 400 born since 1936
- 1930s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shelvia ranks #13,517 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 400 born since 1936, peaking in the 1930s.
- #13,517 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 400
- born since 1936
- 1930s
- peak decade
Shelvia's 400 recorded births place it above 81.3% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
8 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by North Carolina.
Shelvia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shelvia's full recorded timeline at 1949, 21% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 79% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1962, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1937 peak of 63 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shelvia popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1936–1981
- Peak year (1937)
- 63
- Annual births at peak, across 46 years of records
Shelvia by decade
1930s is the heaviest window (179 births, 45% of the file).
1930s was Shelvia's strongest decade.
179 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 45% of all-time use.
Shelvia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s
1930s
179 births
- 1940s
1940s
145 births
- 1950s 36
1950s
36 births
- 1960s 29
1960s
29 births
- 1980s 11
1980s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 179 births (45% of all-time use).
Shelvia by state
Where Shelvia concentrates geographically, total births since 1936
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 51 | 12.8% |
| #2 | West Virginia | | 28 | 7.0% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 23 | 5.8% |
| #4 | South Carolina | | 19 | 4.8% |
| #5 | Virginia | | 16 | 4.0% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 5 | 1.3% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 5 | 1.3% |
| #8 | Tennessee | | 5 | 1.3% |
51 of 400 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 8 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shelvia? ▼
Where does Shelvia sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shelvia most popular? ▼
Where is Shelvia most popular? ▼
How long has the name Shelvia been used? ▼
What names are similar to Shelvia? ▼
What to do with Shelvia's data
- Shelvia's decade-level peak was the 1930s (179 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 1980s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Shelvias (51 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 Shelvia
Nearby Names Like Shelvia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shelvia
Compare Shelvia side by side: Shelvia vs Sheila Shelvia vs Sherry Shelvia vs Shelby
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shelvia: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1937)
Similar record span (~45 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, 1936–1981 (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 Shelvia 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.