How popular is the baby name Shelby in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Shelby.

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Popularity of the baby name Shelby


Posts that mention the name Shelby

Baby names that rose the fastest in the U.S. data, 1881 to today (absolute increase)

hot air balloons

Having déjà vu?

A couple of months ago, we looked at a long, year-by-year list of the top baby name rises. A month after that, we saw the corresponding list of top drops.

On that second post, Frank B. left a comment in which he asked about absolute rises and drops — because the lists only covered relative movement within the data. So I thought two more posts were in order: top raw-number rises, and top raw-number drops.

We’ll start with the rises again. Just keep in mind that the SSA numbers don’t become very accurate until the mid-to-late 20th century, so many of the numbers below don’t quite reflect reality.

Here’s the format: Girl names are on the left, boy names are on the right, and the numbers represent single-year rises in usage. From 1880 to 1881, for instance, the usage of the girl name Ethel increased by 155 babies and the usage of the boy name Chester increased by 106 babies.

1880s

  • 1881: Ethel, +155; Chester, +106
  • 1882: Mary, +1,229; John, +788
  • 1883: Bertha, +173; Grover, +71
  • 1884: Mary, +1,205; Grover, +675
  • 1885: Helen, +148; Willie, +36
  • 1886: Mary, +762; John, +270
  • 1887: Ethel, +208; Harold, +55
  • 1888: Mary, +1,866; William, +1,235
  • 1889: Ruth, +223; Russell, +52

1890s

  • 1890: Mary, +430; Charlie, +112
  • 1891: Ruth, +662; Theodore & Herbert, +34 (tie)
  • 1892: Mary, +1,471; John, +1,358
  • 1893: Esther, +558; Claude, +41
  • 1894: Marie, +437; John, +189
  • 1895: Anna, +385; James, +225
  • 1896: Helen, +369; William, +470
  • 1897: Thelma, +159; Dewey, +95
  • 1898: Mary, +994; Dewey, +957
  • 1899: Mildred, +188; Kenneth, +24

1900s

  • 1900: Mary, +3536; John, +2,840
  • 1901: Retha, +25; Theodore, +21
  • 1902: Mary, +1,350; John, +1,009
  • 1903: Dorothy, +371; Jack, +88
  • 1904: Mary, +687; John, +499
  • 1905: Mary, +1,105; Charles, +201
  • 1906: Alice, +581; Robert, +225
  • 1907: Mary, +1,211; James, +799
  • 1908: Mary, +1,085; William, +622
  • 1909: Helen, +813; James, +582

1910s

  • 1910: Mary, +3,589; John, +1,860
  • 1911: Dorothy, +1,551; John, +1,995
  • 1912: Mary, +7,910; John, +11,140
  • 1913: Mary, +4,342; John, +4,738
  • 1914: Mary, +8,705; John, +8,621
  • 1915: Mary, +12,842; John, +9,634
  • 1916: Mary, +3,246; Robert, +3,004
  • 1917: Mary, +2,847; Robert, +3,474
  • 1918: Dorothy, +3,179; Robert, +5,409
  • 1919: Betty, +1,304; Willie, +409

1920s

  • 1920: Mary, +5,141; Robert, +7,656
  • 1921: Betty, +3,618; Robert, +4,096
  • 1922: Betty, +3,259; Richard, +1,165
  • 1923: Betty, +5,097; Robert, +2,300
  • 1924: Betty, +4,605; Robert, +4,685
  • 1925: Gloria, +2,835; Richard, +2,034
  • 1926: Barbara, +1,917; Richard, +1,864
  • 1927: Mary, +2,787; Donald, +2,935
  • 1928: Dolores, +2,843; Herbert, +3,049
  • 1929: Joan, +3,806; Donald, +1,456

1930s

  • 1930: Joan, +3,812; Richard, +2,602
  • 1931: Joan, +3,633; Ronald, +1,086
  • 1932: Barbara, +4,514; Ronald, +4,411
  • 1933: Carol, +1,650; Franklin, +2,603
  • 1934: Shirley, +8,523; James, +3,124
  • 1935: Shirley, +19,514; David, +1,664
  • 1936: Carol, +2,785; Robert, +1,968
  • 1937: Barbara, +3,230; David, +3,493
  • 1938: Judith, +4,729; James, +2,526
  • 1939: Judith, +5,748; David, +2,366

(From the SSA: “Note that many people born before 1937 never applied for a Social Security card, so their names are not included in our data.”)

1940s

  • 1940: Linda, +7,657; John, +3,739
  • 1941: Linda, +5,355; James, +4,262
  • 1942: Linda, +7,882; James, +10,450
  • 1943: Linda, +6,831; James, +3,072
  • 1944: Cheryl, +5,092; Gary, +2,192
  • 1945: Linda, +3,065; Michael, +3,179
  • 1946: Linda, +11,239; Robert, +14,194
  • 1947: Linda, +46,978; David, +11,381
  • 1948: Deborah, +5,409; Mark, +2,503
  • 1949: Deborah, +7,953; Michael, +7,417

1950s

  • 1950: Deborah, +9,877; Michael, +5,220
  • 1951: Deborah, +12,954; Michael, +7,531
  • 1952: Debra, +9,782; David, +7,043
  • 1953: Debra, +10,015; Michael, +5,172
  • 1954: Debra, +9,029; Mark, +6,899
  • 1955: Debra, +4,653; David, +6,653
  • 1956: Karen, +6,843; Mark, +6,596
  • 1957: Cindy, +10,268; Mark, +4,020
  • 1958: Tammy, +5,618; Timothy, +4,011
  • 1959: Donna, +9,517; Mark, +4,260

1960s

  • 1960: Lisa, +8,013; Jeffrey, +2,564
  • 1961: Lisa, +8,983; Todd, +4,005
  • 1962: Lisa, +3,394; Scott, +6,790
  • 1963: Lisa, +9,951; Paul, +2,884
  • 1964: Dawn, +4,196; John, +3,900
  • 1965: Lisa, +5,990; Rodney, +5,013
  • 1966: Michelle, +10,937; Christopher, +3,228
  • 1967: Melissa, +4,114; Matthew, +2,778
  • 1968: Jennifer, +8,612; Matthew, +2,253
  • 1969: Jennifer, +6,858; Jason, +9,346

1970s

  • 1970: Jennifer, +12,455; Jason, +10,788
  • 1971: Jennifer, +10,626; Jason, +6,897
  • 1972: Jennifer, +6,820; Christopher, +3,954
  • 1973: Heather, +3,032; Jason, +9,236
  • 1974: Heather, +3,836; Jason, +8,082
  • 1975: Amanda, +5,177; Joshua, +2,968
  • 1976: Jamie, +8,306; Jeremy, +4,940
  • 1977: Jessica, +6,467; Joshua, +5,205
  • 1978: Crystal, +2,865; Nicholas, +10,274
  • 1979: Amanda, +11,406; Joshua, +5,921

1980s

  • 1980: Tiffany, +6,614; Justin, +9,355
  • 1981: Jessica, +8,602; Brandon, +6,048
  • 1982: Ashley, +5,971; Christopher, +8,995
  • 1983: Ashley, +18,435; Kyle, +4,161
  • 1984: Ashley, +5,478; Joshua, +3,551
  • 1985: Ashley, +8,242; Andrew, +4,252
  • 1986: Whitney, +5,699; Andrew, +3,682
  • 1987: Kayla, +5,917; Justin, +4,874
  • 1988: Brittany, +4,594; Justin, +3,545
  • 1989: Brittany, +10,969; Ethan, +3,162

1990s

  • 1990: Taylor, +3,188; Jordan, +5,257
  • 1991: Shelby, +6,703; Dylan, +5,349
  • 1992: Taylor, +4,696; Dylan, +5,298
  • 1993: Taylor, +6,318; Austin, +6,125
  • 1994: Alexis, +2,208; Austin, +5,616
  • 1995: Madison, +3,516; Austin, +2,714
  • 1996: Madison, +3,632; Noah, +3,360
  • 1997: Hannah, +1,993; Jacob, +2,237
  • 1998: Emma, +2,700; Noah, +4,137
  • 1999: Grace, +3,460; Seth, +1,718

2000s

  • 2000: Trinity, +2,803; Ethan, +3,783
  • 2001: Isabella, +2,587; Logan, +2,973
  • 2002: Isabella, +3,334; Ethan, +4,143
  • 2003: Emma, +6,170; Aidan, +3,108
  • 2004: Ava, +2,364; Aiden, +1,472
  • 2005: Ava, +4,959; Landon, +2,070
  • 2006: Addison, +4,595; Aiden, +2,492
  • 2007: Addison, +4,328; Jayden, +5,596
  • 2008: Peyton, +1,954; Aiden, +2,472
  • 2009: Isabella, +3,667; Liam, +2,582

2010s

2020s

Some of these names I’ve written about already, and others I plan to write about in the future. If you can give explanations for any of those others right now, though, feel free! Just leave a comment…

Update, 4/22: Here are the corresponding drops…

Source: SSA

Image: Adapted from Turkey-2036 by Dennis Jarvis under CC BY-SA 2.0.

[Latest update: May 2025]

Where did the baby name Shelbra come from in 1971?

Soul Children album "Best Of Two Worlds" (1971)
Soul Children album

The name Shelbra was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. baby name data in 1971:

  • 1973: unlisted
  • 1972: unlisted
  • 1971: 5 baby girls named Shelbra [debut]
  • 1970: unlisted
  • 1969: unlisted

It’s reminiscent of Shelby and Shelba, but I think this one has a specific explanation: vocal quartet The Soul Children, which included a female member with an “earthy, soulful voice” named Shelbra Bennett.

The group scored well over a dozen R&B hits from the late ’60s to the late ’70s, but their biggest singles were the three that crossed over and charted on the Hot 100: “The Sweeter He Is” (peaked in Nov. 1969), “Hearsay” (May 1972), and “I’ll Be the Other Woman” (Mar. 1974).

What do you think of the baby name Shelbra? Do you like it more or less than Shelby?

Sources: The Soul Children – Wikipedia, The Soul Children – Billboard, R.I.P. Shelbra Bennett of the Soul Children – Stax Museum of American Soul Music

Where did the baby name Trilby come from in 1895?

The characters Trilby and Svengali from the book "Trilby" (1895).
Trilby and Svengali

The gothic melodrama Trilby by British author George du Maurier was first published serially in Harper’s Monthly from January to August, 1894. It was released as a book in September.

The story was set in Paris in the early 1850s. The title character, Trilby O’Ferrall, was a naïve, tone-deaf artist’s model who went on to become a world-famous singer, thanks to the hypnotic powers of the sinister Svengali. But when Svengali suddenly died, Trilby lost her ability to sing and ended up wasting away.

trilby, book, cover,

Trilby wasn’t just a bestseller — the entire country was gripped by Trilby-mania for several years straight. (This isn’t unlike the Twilight-mania that emerged more than 100 years later.)

Many things, from fashion to food, were influenced/inspired by Trilby during this time. Here’s a partial list…

  • Language:
    • Trilbies became slang for “(women’s) feet,” as Trilby had particularly beautiful feet
    • Svengali became slang for “a person who exercises a controlling or mesmeric influence on another, especially for a sinister purpose”
  • Music:
  • Products:
    • Trilby hat
    • Trilby dolls
    • Trilby ice cream (it was molded into the shape of a foot)
    • Trilby board game
    • Trilby high-heeled shoes
    • Trilby jewelry
    • Trilby belts
    • Trilby bathing suits
    • Trilby cigars/cigarettes
    • Trilby hearth brush
    • Trilby tea
    • Trilby cocktail
    • Trilby pie
    • Trilby sausage
    • Trilby ham
  • Non-human namesakes:
    • Trilby, Florida
    • USS Trilby
  • Adaptations:
    • Trilby, stage play
    • Trilby (1915), movie
    • Trilby (1923), movie
    • Svengali (1931), movie
  • Influence on other literary works:
    • Dracula (1897) by Bram Stoker
    • Le Fantôme de l’Opéra (1909) by Gaston Leroux

Trilby and its glamorization of the bohemian lifestyle even “excited a vogue for nude modeling among the many young women who wished to follow the Trilby life.” (And this, of course, “alarmed the clergy and other guardians of morality.”)

So where does the name Trilby come from?

For a long time I’d assumed that George du Maurier had based it on the musical term trill, which refers to rapid alternation between two adjacent musical notes. Turns out this isn’t the case.

He borrowed the name from an earlier work of literature, the story “Trilby, ou le Lutin d’Argail” (“Trilby, or the Fairy of Argyle”) (1822) by French writer Charles Nodier. In Nodier’s story, which is set in Scotland, Trilby is a male sprite who seduces a mortal woman.

In 1895 a New York Times writer guessed that the name of Nodier’s Trilby might be “an endearing diminutive of “trall,” a member of the brownie clan,” but I can’t find any outside confirmation that the word “trall” even exists. (Perhaps it’s a Scottish variant of the word “troll”…?)

How many people in the U.S. have been named Trilby?

According to the SSA data, Trilby was the 978th most popular girl name in the U.S. in 1895, the year after the book was published. This was the only time Trilby managed to rank within the U.S. top 1,000.

  • 1897: unlisted
  • 1896: 6 baby girls named Trilby
  • 1895: 12 baby girls named Trilby [debut] (rank: 978th)
  • 1894: unlisted
  • 1893: unlisted

But the SSA data from that period is incomplete, so here are the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) numbers for the same years:

  • 1897: 10 people with the first name Trilby
  • 1896: 22 people with the first name Trilby
  • 1895: 34 people with the first name Trilby
  • 1894: 5 people with the first name Trilby
  • 1893: 2 people with the first name Trilby

These days, Trilby rarely appears on the SSA’s list:

  • 2014: unlisted
  • 2013: unlisted
  • 2012: unlisted
  • 2011: unlisted
  • 2010: 6 baby girls named Trilby
  • 2009: unlisted
  • 2008: 7 baby girls named Trilby
  • 2007: unlisted
  • 2006: unlisted
  • 2005: unlisted
  • 2004: unlisted
  • 2003: unlisted
  • 2002: unlisted
  • 2001: unlisted
  • 2000: unlisted

Trilby may be an unfashionable name right now, but for the parents-to-be who want something a bit retro-sounding, this could be a good thing.

The name is also an intriguing option for lovers of trivia and/or quirky history, as it’s tied to a fascinating pop culture craze from over a century ago. (We might be saying the same thing about Renesmee 100 years from now!)

Plus, Trilby is one of a small number of names with that distinctive “-by” ending, such as Ruby, Shelby, Darby, Colby, Kirby and Rigby.

One possible drawback to the name is the not-so-subtle anti-Semitism in the book itself. Svengali is not merely the “greasily, mattedly unkempt” antagonist of the story, but he’s also Jewish — with “bold, black, beady Jew’s eyes” no less. Then again…similar things could be said about other historical pieces of literature that have inspired baby names.

If you’re considering the naming your baby girl Trilby, I highly encourage you to head over to Project Gutenberg and read (or at least skim) the text of Trilby.

What are your thoughts on the name Trilby?

Sources:

Popular baby names in Yukon (Canada), 1991-2015

Flag of Yukon
Flag of Yukon

Ever wonder what the top baby names in Yukon are?

Me too! So I looked them up.

Turns out the sparsely populated Canadian territory — which is next door to Alaska, larger than California, and home to only about 34,000 people — releases baby name rankings that cover 5 years at a time. So let’s roll the five most recent lists (i.e., 25 years of popular names) into a single post, shall we?

According to the Yukon Bureau of Statistics, these were the most popular baby names in the territory over the last quarter century…

From 2011 to 2015, the top baby names in Yukon were Ava and Liam:

Girl names (2011-15)Boy names (2011-15)
Ava, 13 baby girls
Emma, 12
Hannah, 12
Sophia, 10
Avery, 9
Emily, 9
Grace, 9
Amelia, 7
Aurora, 6
Ella, 6
Lily, 6
Olivia, 6
Sadie, 6
Sophie, 6		Liam, 17 baby boys
Mason, 14
Jack, 13
William, 13
Alexander, 11
Benjamin, 11
Levi, 11
Hunter, 10
Ethan, 9
Jacob, 9
Thomas, 9
Eli, 8
Gavin, 8
Noah, 8
Oliver, 8
Samuel, 8
Carter, 7
Charles, 7
Connor, 7
Jaxon, 7
Aiden, 6
Luke, 6
Owen, 6
Xavier, 6
  • From 2011 to 2015, Yukon welcomed 962 baby girls. A total of 654 girl names were bestowed, and 511 (78.1%) of those names were used only once.
  • From 2011 to 2015, Yukon welcomed 1,088 baby boys. A total of 589 boy names were bestowed, and 400 (67.9%) of those names were used only once.
  • According to the CBC, the top names in Yukon in 2015 specifically were Sophia and Jack.

From 2006 to 2010, the top baby names in Yukon were Madison and James:

Girl names (2006-10)Boy names (2006-10)
Madison, 11 baby girls
Olivia, 9
Brooklyn, 8
Emma, 8
Lily, 8
Mia, 8
Avery, 7
Chloe, 7
Isabelle, 7
Sophie, 7
Abigail, 6
Ava, 6
Ella, 6
Emily, 6
Hailey, 6
Layla, 6
Sophia, 6		James, 11 baby boys
Liam, 10
Logan, 10
Gabriel, 9
Jacob, 9
Matthew, 9
Noah, 9
Ryan, 8
Alexander, 7
Daniel, 7
Oliver, 7
Samuel, 7
William, 7
Andrew, 6
Ethan, 6
Gavin, 6
Joseph, 6
Marcus, 6
Mason, 6
Nathan, 6
Thomas, 6
Xavier, 6
  • From 2006 to 2010, Yukon welcomed 912 baby girls. A total of 601 girl names were bestowed, and 479 (79.7%) of those names were used only once.
  • From 2006 to 2010, Yukon welcomed 989 baby boys. A total of 559 boy names were bestowed, and 402 (71.9%) of those names were used only once.

From 2001 to 2005, the top baby names in Yukon were Emily and Logan:

Girl names (2001-05)Boy names (2001-05)
Emily, 13 baby girls
Hannah, 12
Emma, 11
Madison, 10
Olivia, 10
Alyssa, 7
Sarah, 7
Brooke, 6
Jessica, 6
Morgan, 6
Taylor, 6		Logan, 12 baby boys
Ethan, 11
Andrew, 10
Daniel, 10
James, 10
Joshua, 10
Tristan, 10
Cameron, 9
Jacob, 9
Adam, 8
Christopher, 8
Cole, 8
Liam, 8
Michael, 8
Nathan, 8
Nicholas, 8
Aidan, 7
Alexander, 7
Austin, 7
Jesse, 7
Justin, 7
Matthew, 7
Noah, 7
William, 7
Dylan, 6
Max, 6
Seth, 6
Thomas, 6
  • From 2001-2005, Yukon welcomed 857 baby girls. A total of 586 girl names were bestowed, and 462 (78.8%) of those names were used only once.
  • From 2001-2005, Yukon welcomed 870 baby boys. A total of 478 boy names were bestowed, and 339 (70.9%) of those names were used only once.

From 1996 to 2000, the top baby names in Yukon were Emily and Alexander:

Girl names (1996-2000)Boy names (1996-2000)
Emily, 15 baby girls
Samantha, 14
Sarah, 14
Hannah, 11
Jessica, 11
Taylor, 10
Emma, 9
Erin, 8
Jasmine, 8
Sydney, 8
Amber, 7
Julia, 7
Madison, 7
Megan, 7
Nicole, 7
Amy, 6
Brittany, 6
Chelsea, 6
Cheyenne, 6
Kathleen, 6
Lauren, 6		Alexander, 17 baby boys
Brandon, 16
Joshua, 16
Jacob, 15
Matthew, 14
Andrew, 13
Benjamin, 13
David, 12
William, 12
Jordan, 11
Kyle, 11
Tyler, 11
Dylan, 10
Michael, 10
Nathan, 10
Ryan, 10
Tristan, 10
Anthony, 9
Cody, 9
Daniel, 9
James, 9

From 1991 to 1995, the top baby names in Yukon were Ashley/Brittany/Samantha (3-way tie) and Michael:

Girl names (1991-95)Boy names (1991-95)
Ashley, 14 baby girls
Brittany, 14
Samantha, 14
Kayla, 13
Sarah, 13
Emily, 12
Jessica, 12
Heather, 10
Megan, 9
Nicole, 9
Jennifer, 8
Kaitlyn, 8
Sara, 8
Alexandra, 7
Amanda, 7
Jasmine, 7
Rebecca, 7
Christina, 6
Jenna, 6
Robyn, 6
Shelby, 6		Michael, 28 baby boys
Ryan, 19
Cody, 18
Kyle, 18
Matthew, 18
Joshua, 17
Tyler, 16
James, 15
Daniel, 14
David, 14
Logan, 14
Alexander, 13
Jordan, 13
William, 13
Benjamin, 12
Brandon, 12
John, 12
Nathan, 12
Nicholas, 11
Patrick, 11
Dylan, 10
Steven, 10

Sources: Yukon Baby Names 2001-2005 [pdf], Yukon Baby Names 2006-2010 [pdf], Baby Names in Yukon, 2011–2015 [pdf]

Image: Adapted from Flag of Yukon (public domain)

[Latest update: Jul. 2022]