The first name Shelly
A girl’s name.
2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
A male given name transferred from the surname, of mostly pre-1930 usage.
A form of Shelley.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 3 girls were named Shelly, making it the 5,927th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 21 births (#983).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Shelly with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Shelly at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 21 girls born in the United States were named Shelly, the 5,884th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1964, when 4,080 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Famous people named Shelly
6 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Shelly MartinezAmerican professional wrestler, professional wrestling valet, model, and actress, born 1980
- Shelly ColeAmerican actress, born 1975
- Shelly KaganAmerican philosopher, born 1956
- Shelly JohnsonAmerican cinematographer, born 1958
- Shelly StokesAmerican softball player, born 1967
- Dean MalenkoAmerican professional wrestler (born 1960)
Questions
- How popular is the name Shelly?
- In 2025, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Shelly, ranking 5,927th. Its peak was 1997, with 21 births.
- Is Shelly a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 97% of the 86,610 US babies named Shelly since 1880 were girls.
- When was Shelly most popular?
- 1964 in the United States, when 4,080 babies were named Shelly, its highest rank at 101st.
- What name is Shelly a form of?
- Shelly is a form of Shelley.
- Is Shelly also a surname?
- Yes. Shelly is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.