Shelley

Did you know?

A few things about Shelley you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Shelley

Shelley Duvall

American actress (1949–2024)

Choose Shelley and your child shares a first name with Shelley Duvall, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Shelley, like who?” Shelley Duvall's Wikipedia article is available in 79 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Shelley Duvall on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: United Press International, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 123,457 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Shelley, 13 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Shelley would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryShelley first shows up in US birth records in 1892, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 133 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1972, when it ranked #126. Today it's #7,885, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowShelley was 4.7× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 26,316 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 123,457.
• 🍂TrendShelley has slipped 673 places over the last five years and now sits at #7,885. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Shelley means “clearing on a ledge”. Our records link it to English and French roots.

About the name Shelley

Shelley is a girl name of English and French origin meaning “clearing on a ledge”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with S and ending in “-ley”. US birth records list Shelley for girls from 1892 to 2025, in 114 of those 134 years. Its best year was 1972, when it ranked #126 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #7,885, with 13 babies.

Origin:English namesFrench names