Shelly
Meaning: “clearing on a bank”
About the name Shelly
Shelly is a girl name with Old English roots, meaning “clearing on a bank”. It is related to Shelley, which is where the meaning comes from.
It has a vintage, unique feel. In 2025, Shelly ranked #5884 for girls in the US, with 21 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1964. Since 2000, 99% of US babies named Shelly were girls.
Etymology
A variant of Shelley, which comes from Old English, meaning “clearing on a bank”.
Name meaning adapted from Wiktionary (“Shelly”, “Shelley”) by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- US rank 2025
- #5884
- In 2015
- #3522
- Babies in 2025
- 21
Popularity of Shelly, 1940–2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Names similar to Shelly
Name meanings marked or linked “Wiktionary” are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.