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Girl name

Shelby

Shelby holds the #649 spot on the 2025 list of the most popular girl names in the U.S. That amounts to 444 newborn girls in a single year. The name has been cooling off, slipping from #501 in 2020 to #649 today. Its strongest year on record was 1991 (#33 nationally, 10,220 newborns), in a data series reaching back to 1913. The name's biggest fan base is in West Virginia (#154 there in 2025).

Rankings

2025 rank
#649
among girl names
Trend
Falling
last 5 years
All-time peak
#33
in 1991 (1990s)
Babies in 2025
444
girls named Shelby

Shelby popularity, 1880–2025

0.15%0.29%0.44%0.59%18801900192019401960198020002020#33 in 1991
Girls — share of U.S. female birthsSource: SSA, 1880–2025◆ peak 1991

Where Shelby is most popular

Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025AK—Maine: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025ME—Vermont: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025VT—New Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025NH—Washington: #617 (10 girls, 0.03% of girls born 2025)WA#617Idaho: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025ID—Montana: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025MT—North Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025ND—Minnesota: #659 (7 girls, 0.03% of girls born 2025)MN#659Wisconsin: #564 (8 girls, 0.04% of girls born 2025)WI#564Michigan: #638 (12 girls, 0.03% of girls born 2025)MI#638New York: #947 (16 girls, 0.02% of girls born 2025)NY#947Massachusetts: #682 (7 girls, 0.03% of girls born 2025)MA#682Rhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025RI—Oregon: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025OR—Nevada: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025NV—Wyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025WY—South Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025SD—Iowa: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025IA—Illinois: #1014 (8 girls, 0.02% of girls born 2025)IL#1014Indiana: #721 (8 girls, 0.03% of girls born 2025)IN#721Ohio: #1035 (8 girls, 0.02% of girls born 2025)OH#1035Pennsylvania: #443 (24 girls, 0.05% of girls born 2025)PA#443New Jersey: #846 (8 girls, 0.02% of girls born 2025)NJ#846Connecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025CT—California: #830 (35 girls, 0.02% of girls born 2025)CA#830Utah: #385 (11 girls, 0.06% of girls born 2025)UT#385Colorado: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025CO—Nebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025NE—Missouri: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025MO—Kentucky: #364 (12 girls, 0.07% of girls born 2025)KY#364West Virginia: #154 (10 girls, 0.20% of girls born 2025)WV#154Virginia: #484 (16 girls, 0.05% of girls born 2025)VA#484Maryland: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025MD—Delaware: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025DE—Arizona: #578 (11 girls, 0.04% of girls born 2025)AZ#578New Mexico: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025NM—Kansas: #497 (6 girls, 0.05% of girls born 2025)KS#497Arkansas: #425 (7 girls, 0.07% of girls born 2025)AR#425Tennessee: #282 (27 girls, 0.08% of girls born 2025)TN#282North Carolina: #381 (28 girls, 0.06% of girls born 2025)NC#381South Carolina: #560 (8 girls, 0.04% of girls born 2025)SC#560District of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025DC—Oklahoma: #546 (7 girls, 0.05% of girls born 2025)OK#546Louisiana: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025LA—Mississippi: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025MS—Alabama: #318 (15 girls, 0.08% of girls born 2025)AL#318Georgia: #611 (17 girls, 0.04% of girls born 2025)GA#611Hawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Shelby in 2025HI—Texas: #624 (50 girls, 0.03% of girls born 2025)TX#624Florida: #735 (22 girls, 0.03% of girls born 2025)FL#735
Share of girls born in 2025:lowhighno data (< 5 births)
Strongest states: West Virginia (#154), Tennessee (#282), Alabama (#318)

Uniqueness score

44/ 100Balanced
everywhereone of a kind

Well known, but far from crowded — the middle of the field. Based on how many babies per birth were named Shelby in the most recent year of SSA data.

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