as a First Name
Transferred use of the surname, the most famous bearer of which was the English Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822). The surname is in origin a local name from one of the various places (in Essex, Suffolk, and Yorkshire) named in Old English as the ‘wood (or clearing) on (or near) a slope (or ledge)’. The name is now used almost exclusively for girls, in part perhaps as a result of association with Shirley (the actress Shelley Winters, 1922–2005, was born Shirley Schrift), and in part due to the characteristically feminine ending -(e)y.
| 517th in the U.S. for 2011 |
Nicknames & variations
Quick facts
- Tens of Thousands
- of people in the U.S have this name
- 84,856
- to be exact (as of February 2011)
- Montana
- has the most people named Shelley per capita
- 1972
- marked the height of its popularity
99.92%
0.08%
22%
55+
55+
71%
30-54
30-54
7%
13-29
13-29
0.54%
0-12
0-12
Top state populations
U.S. Distribution Map
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