Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Selby as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Selby

Add to my Name List

The baby name Selby is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈsɛlbi/ (SEL-bee).

Selby is English in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: English
Pronunciation: /ˈsɛlbi/ (SEL-bee)

What is the meaning of the name Selby ?

The baby name Selby is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced /ˈsɛlbi/ (SEL-bee).

Selby is English in Origin.

Selby is an English habitational name turned given name, taken from the Yorkshire town. Its etymology traces to Old Norse selja “willow” + býr “farm, settlement,” yielding the sense “willow farm/settlement.” The place appears in the Domesday Book as Selebi, reflecting the Scandinavian imprint on the Danelaw. As a surname, Selby is well attested from the Middle Ages.

Adopted as a first name in the 19th century alongside other surnames-as-given-names, Selby was used chiefly for boys but today reads comfortably unisex, remaining rare and tailored. Variant spellings include Selbie, Selbee, and Selbey; short forms Sel or Selly occur. It is closely related to, and sometimes conflated with, Shelby, a cognate surname with the same Norse components and “willow” meaning. For parents, Selby blends understated nature imagery with a crisp, antique-English sound.

Selby has the following similar or variant Names

Selby – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
NA 0 #33 1 2,537
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
BW Boys 0 #154 1 4,685
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
MO Boys 0 #234 1 5,842
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
CN Boys 0 #331 1 9,639
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
GH Boys 0 #360 2 8,138
ZA 0 #403 45 14,421
ZA Boys 0 #404 1,373 25,619
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
SD Boys 0 #466 1 10,523
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
UY Girls 0 #535 2 6,731
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
BO Girls 0 #648 4 9,488
HK Girls 0 #648 3 16,104
IQ Boys 0 #697 1 13,071
SG Boys 0 #739 1 17,960
QA Boys 0 #743 1 18,093
United States Boys 2014 #887 5 7,361
United States Girls 2024 #911 6 8,487
OM Boys 0 #918 1 17,948
NG Boys 0 #1,001 1 16,906
PE Girls 0 #1,007 4 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,014 1 25,931
MY Girls 0 #1,072 1 24,821
ZA Girls 0 #1,081 61 25,928
AE Boys 0 #1,142 2 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,180 3 25,439
MX Girls 0 #1,267 1 17,781

Selby is popular in 26 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
AE
BO
BW
CL

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Selby

Selby is predominantly a boy's name.
Selby is a 2 syllable name, pronounced /ˈsɛlbi/ (SEL-bee).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Selbie, Selbee and Shelby.
Somewhat — Selby ranked #887 in United States in 2014, placing it just outside the most common names.
Selby's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #858 in 2006 to #887 in 2014 in United States.