Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Shelley as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Shelley

♡Add to my Name List

The baby name Shelley is a Girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced SHEL-ee.

Shelley is English, Old English in Origin.

Gender: Girl
Syllables: 2
Origin: English, Old English
Pronunciation: SHEL-ee

What is the meaning of the name Shelley ?

The baby name Shelley is a girl name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced SHEL-ee.

Shelley is English, Old English in Origin.

Shelley is an English habitational surname later adopted as a given name. Its root is Old English: scylf, shelf, ledge, or bank, plus lēah, woodland clearing or open ground. Early surname forms include Matilda de Selleg and Richard de Selueleg in Suffolk Pipe Rolls of 1201; Schellay appears later in Yorkshire. The literal sense is clearing on or beside a bank of land.

As a forename, Shelley follows the English fashion for transferred surnames such as Ashley and Courtney. It was borne by men and women, but in Britain and North America became chiefly feminine after the 1940s. The surname carries notable literary associations through Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein. Shelly is the usual simplified spelling; use as a pet form of Michelle is secondary and etymologically separate.

Shelley has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Shelley

Shelley Duvall Actor|musician · Born 1949 · United States Shelley Duvall was an American actress and producer best known for her unforgettable roles in The Shining, Popeye, and 3 Women. She was known for her distinctive, offbeat screen presence and later became a successful producer of children's programming, earning honors including a Cannes Award and a Peabody Award. Shelley Winters Actor · Born 1920 · United States Shelley Winters was an American actor best known for her roles in films like 'A Place in the Sun' and 'The Diary of Anne Frank'. She won two Academy Awards during her career and was recognized for her strong, versatile performances on screen. Shelley Long Actor · Born 1949 · United States Shelley Long is best known for her role as Diane Chambers on the popular TV show Cheers. Her performance on the show earned her an Emmy Award. She also appeared in films like Troop Beverly Hills and The Money Pit.
Shelley Hennig Actor · Born 1987 · United States Shelley Hennig is an American actress best known for her role as Malia Tate in the TV series Teen Wolf. She also starred in the horror film Unfriended and appeared in the series The Secret Circle. Before acting, she won the Miss Teen USA title in 2004. Shelley Conn Actor · Born 1976 · United Kingdom Shelley Conn is a British actor best known for her role as Lady Mary Sharma in the popular Netflix series Bridgerton. She has also appeared in the TV series Terra Nova and the film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Born in 1976, she has built a diverse career in both television and film. Shelley Morrison Actor · Born 1936 · United States Shelley Morrison was an American actress best known for playing Rosario Salazar on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace from 1999 to 2006. Born Rachel Mitrani, she worked in television and film and became especially beloved for her sharp, funny performance as Rosario.

Shelley – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Girls 2003 #1 — 735
MO 0 #51 2 2,706
CY 0 #60 1 1,632
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
JP 0 #76 2 4,057
CN 0 #80 7 3,857
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
TW 0 #99 5 4,523
ID Girls 0 #102 1 3,319
PH 0 #109 2 5,607
KW 0 #120 2 5,216
OM 0 #120 2 6,215
CY Girls 0 #123 3 3,755
PA 0 #138 1 3,797
CR 0 #145 14 5,526
MT Girls 0 #146 8 3,773
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
PR Girls 0 #167 1 3,171
SI Girls 0 #177 1 2,769
AE 0 #182 6 10,220
CZ 0 #185 2 3,154
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
RU 0 #193 2 3,641
PS 0 #200 19 5,692
DK 0 #205 2 5,198
HU Girls 0 #224 2 3,308
MO Girls 0 #229 23 7,056
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
NA Girls 0 #234 4 7,146
CN Girls 0 #246 105 8,829
GR Girls 0 #246 4 6,293
JP Girls 0 #249 3 6,592
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
TW Girls 0 #251 26 8,139
IL 0 #252 23 6,291
SG 0 #257 13 11,010
JM Girls 0 #270 9 7,507
Canada Girls 2017 #292 5 3,011
JM Boys 0 #293 1 6,876
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
MY 0 #321 10 12,352
DK Girls 0 #328 2 7,429
PE 0 #328 2 6,350
CN Boys 0 #329 3 9,639
GH Girls 0 #333 5 6,973
HK 0 #334 15 8,483
QA Girls 0 #335 9 15,378
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
ZA 0 #352 96 14,421
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
GH Boys 0 #360 2 8,138
MU Girls 0 #362 1 8,539
PH Girls 0 #369 22 13,098
NL 0 #372 20 2,481
BD Girls 0 #376 11 8,413
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
France Girls 2015 #411 3 3,223
EG 0 #412 1 6,387
OM Girls 0 #418 7 15,987
CL 0 #433 2 6,867
PS Girls 0 #436 88 10,981
MX 0 #445 1 8,339
PT Girls 0 #469 3 7,952
CR Girls 0 #479 54 11,342
IL Girls 0 #483 136 11,648
HK Girls 0 #509 107 16,104
CO 0 #510 1 7,768
CR Boys 0 #510 1 10,188
PA Girls 0 #513 6 9,861
RU Girls 0 #520 4 11,913
UY Girls 0 #535 2 6,731
SG Girls 0 #536 51 18,916
AE Girls 0 #542 12 20,968
BH 0 #543 11 17,937
IR Girls 0 #544 2 8,334
HK Boys 0 #557 1 12,905
CM Girls 0 #559 2 11,671
KW Girls 0 #559 3 19,177
PS Boys 0 #560 2 10,655
CM Boys 0 #574 2 12,054
BD Boys 0 #604 2 10,045
IL Boys 0 #624 2 10,983
IN Girls 0 #647 8 13,121
BO Girls 0 #650 2 9,488
ZA Girls 0 #667 576 25,928
NL Girls 0 #724 233 5,933
SG Boys 0 #738 2 17,960
NG Girls 0 #765 22 15,093
United States Boys 2001 #803 5 6,882
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
Germany Girls 0 #820 19 4,949
United States Girls 2024 #906 11 8,487
CL Girls 0 #907 9 14,098
MY Girls 0 #907 88 24,821
OM Boys 0 #917 2 17,948
PE Girls 0 #917 27 14,861
EG Boys 0 #925 1 15,035
PE Boys 0 #926 1 14,506
Spain Girls 0 #958 26 5,561
BR Girls 0 #984 9 12,708
NG Boys 0 #999 3 16,906
SA Girls 0 #1,006 9 25,931
EG Girls 0 #1,009 1 14,742
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
CO Girls 0 #1,064 15 16,140
AE Boys 0 #1,141 3 22,615
MA 0 #1,197 3 20,986
DZ 0 #1,234 1 20,130
TR 0 #1,253 2 19,440
MX Girls 0 #1,259 9 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,265 8 25,619
IT Girls 0 #1,402 45 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,691 1 28,008

Shelley is popular in 60 countries — most recent births per country:

Scotland, United Kingdom
United States
Ireland
Canada
France

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

People also ask about Shelley

Shelley is a unisex name, given to both boys and girls.
Shelley is a 2 syllable name, pronounced SHEL-ee.
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Shelly.
Yes, very popular — Shelley ranked #1 in Ireland in 2003, and appears in official birth registries across 5 countries.
Shelley ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2003).
Yes — 10 notable people named Shelley are in our database, including Shelley Duvall (Actor|musician), Shelley Winters (Actor), Shelley Long (Actor).