NameCensus.
Very Rare

Shadley

An English given name of uncertain meaning, potentially derived from the Old English elements "scead" and "leah".

Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Shadley. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Shadley today is around 45 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shadley births was 1978 (6 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Shadley. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.

Key insights

  • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Shadley. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.

People living today

6

~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans

Peak year

1978

6 babies that year

Average age

45

years old

1978 SSA rank

#5,655

Tracked since 1978

Popularity

Shadley: popularity over time

Babies born per year

02356

Decades

Shadley by decade

The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Shadley during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1970s606

Origin

Meaning and history of Shadley

The given name Shadley is a relatively obscure one, with its origins shrouded in mystery. However, linguistic scholars have traced its roots to the ancient Sumerian civilization, which flourished in Mesopotamia around 3500-3000 BCE. The name is believed to be derived from the Sumerian word "shadlu," which roughly translates to "one who walks in the shadows."

This intriguing name has been found in several ancient cuneiform tablets and inscriptions, suggesting that it was in use during the height of the Sumerian empire. Some scholars even speculate that it may have held religious or spiritual significance, as the concept of shadows and darkness played a significant role in Sumerian mythology and cosmology.

The earliest recorded bearer of the name Shadley was a Sumerian scribe who lived around 2500 BCE. His name was inscribed on a clay tablet that detailed his contributions to the preservation of ancient texts and the advancement of writing systems in the region.

Throughout history, the name Shadley has been borne by several notable individuals, though their stories have often been lost to the sands of time. One such figure was Shadley the Wise, a renowned philosopher and scholar who lived in the city of Ur during the 6th century BCE. His teachings and writings were highly influential in shaping the intellectual landscape of the ancient world.

In the 3rd century CE, a Roman soldier named Shadley gained recognition for his bravery and military prowess. He fought valiantly in the Punic Wars against Carthage and was said to have saved the lives of countless fellow soldiers on the battlefield.

Another notable bearer of the name was Shadley the Explorer, an intrepid traveler from the 9th century CE who embarked on daring journeys across the known world. His accounts of distant lands and cultures were widely circulated and inspired generations of adventurers and explorers to follow in his footsteps.

In the 15th century, a renowned artist and sculptor named Shadley left an indelible mark on the Renaissance art scene. His masterful works, carved from marble and stone, adorned the palaces and churches of Italy, capturing the beauty and grace of the human form.

These are but a few examples of the individuals who have borne the name Shadley throughout history, each leaving their own unique imprint on the tapestry of human civilization. While the name may be shrouded in mystery and obscurity, its enduring presence serves as a testament to the rich tapestry of cultural diversity and the enduring legacy of those who carried it with pride.

People

Shadley + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Shadley as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.

Related

Other names starting with S

Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.

FAQ

Shadley: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Shadley?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shadley going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 57,125,723 US residents.

Is Shadley a common name?

We classify Shadley as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 6 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Shadley most popular?

The single biggest year for Shadley was 1978, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shadley is about 45 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

What does the SSA popularity chart show?

The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Shadley in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.

Is Shadley a male name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shadley in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.

Is Shadley still being used today?

Yes. The SSA still recorded Shadley in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.

Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?

Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Shadley can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.

Where does this data come from?

First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.

Does every first name have Census demographic data?

No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.

How many people are called Shadley?

HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.

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Shadley

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