Shelane
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly a variation of Shailene.
Name Census estimates that about 20 living Americans carry the first name Shelane. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shelane today is around 56 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shelane births was 1970 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shelane. 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 Shelane. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
20
~ 1 in 17,137,717 Americans
Peak year
1970
7 babies that year
Average age
56
years old
1977 SSA rank
#10,987
Tracked since 1966
Popularity
Shelane: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shelane from the 1960s through to the 1970s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 12 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shelane 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 Shelane during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shelane
The name Shelane is a relatively uncommon given name that is believed to have its origins in the ancient Celtic cultures of Western Europe. It is thought to be derived from the Proto-Celtic root "*skel-" meaning "to split" or "to divide," possibly referring to a creek or stream that splits off from a larger body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shelane can be found in the Annals of Ulster, a chronicle of medieval Irish history dating back to the 15th century. Here, the name is mentioned in reference to a minor nobleman from the Kingdom of Mide in present-day County Westmeath, Ireland.
In terms of historical figures bearing the name Shelane, there are a few notable individuals. One such person was Shelane mac Conaill, a 7th-century Irish poet and bard who is credited with composing several works that have been preserved in the ancient manuscript known as the Leabhar na hUidhre or "Book of the Dun Cow."
Another historical figure named Shelane was a 9th-century Scottish chieftain who is said to have led a rebellion against the Norse-Gaelic Kingdom of the Isles in what is now the Inner Hebrides region of Scotland. Though little is known about his life, his exploits were recorded in the Orkneyinga Saga, a historical narrative of the Norse earls of Orkney.
In the realm of literature, there is a character named Shelane who appears in the 19th-century novel "The Fair Carew" by Irish author Thomas Millington. Though a minor character, Shelane is described as a wise and respected elder of a small village in the Irish countryside.
One of the more recent historical figures named Shelane was an Irish-American artist and illustrator named Shelane Wilson, who lived from 1885 to 1962. Wilson was known for her intricate pen-and-ink drawings, many of which depicted scenes from Irish folklore and mythology.
While not a particularly common name, Shelane has appeared throughout various points in history, with its roots tracing back to the ancient Celtic cultures of Western Europe. Despite its relative obscurity, the name has been borne by poets, rebels, literary characters, and artists over the centuries.
People
Shelane + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shelane 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
Shelane: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shelane?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 20 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shelane 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 17,137,717 US residents.
Is Shelane a common name?
We classify Shelane as "Very Rare". It ranks above 39.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 23 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shelane most popular?
The single biggest year for Shelane was 1970, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shelane is about 56 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 Shelane in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Shelane a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shelane in the SSA data are female. 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 Shelane still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Shelane 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 Shelane 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 share the name Shelane?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.