Shellby is a unique and distinctive given name of English origin. It is derived from the surname Shelby, which is an Anglicized form of the Old Norse personal name Selbjorn. The original name was composed of two elements: sel, meaning "sea," and bjorn, meaning "bear." Therefore, Shellby can be interpreted as meaning "bear by the sea."
The name Shelby has been used as a given name since the 19th century, but it gained significant popularity in the United States during the mid-20th century. It peaked in usage during the 1970s and 1980s, ranking among the top 500 most popular girl names during those decades.
While Shellby is more commonly associated with females, it can be used as a given name for either gender due to its unisex nature. Its unique sound and spelling make it stand out from other names of English origin.
In literature and popular culture, the name Shellby has been featured in various works. One notable example is in the novel "Gone with the Wind" by Margaret Mitchell, where a character named Shelly (a variant of Shellby) appears. Additionally, the name Shelby has been used as a given name for characters in television shows and movies.
In conclusion, Shellby is an English given name derived from the surname Shelby, which means "bear by the sea." Its popularity peaked during the mid-20th century, and while it is more commonly associated with females, it can be used for either gender. Throughout literature and popular culture, Shellby has been featured in various works, contributing to its recognition and appeal as a unique name choice.
The statistics provided show the annual birth numbers of babies named Shellby in the United States from 1986 to 2016. The name's popularity fluctuated significantly over this period.
In the early years, Shellby was quite uncommon, with only 7 births recorded in 1986 and 6 in 1987. However, its popularity began to rise in the early 1990s, reaching a peak of 43 births in 1991. This trend continued until 1996 when there were 39 Shellby births.
After 1996, the popularity of the name started to decline gradually. Between 1997 and 2002, the number of Shellby births ranged from a high of 26 in 1998 to a low of 17 in 2002. This downward trend continued into the early 2000s, with only 13 births recorded in 2005.
Since then, Shellby has remained relatively uncommon as a baby name in the United States. There were fewer than 10 Shellby births each year from 2006 to 2016, except for a brief spike of 12 births in 2011.
In total, there were 496 babies named Shellby born in the United States between 1986 and 2016. While the name experienced periods of popularity, it has generally been quite uncommon over this period.