The name Sheldon has its origins in Old English, derived from the elements "scylf" meaning "shelf" or "ledge" and "dun" meaning "hill" or "down". It was originally a topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a ledge or on a hill. The name can be traced back to the late Anglo-Saxon period in England, around the 11th century.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Seldon in Buckinghamshire. The name also appears in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in the 12th century.

In the late Middle Ages, the name began to be used as a given name, likely due to its association with places or estates. One notable bearer of the name was Sheldon Cradock (c. 1500-1572), an English landowner and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

During the Renaissance period, the name gained some prominence in England. Sir Ralph Sheldon (c. 1537-1609) was a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament who built the magnificent Weston House in Warwickshire. Another notable figure was Gilbert Sheldon (1598-1677), the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1663 to 1677, who played a significant role in the restoration of the Church of England after the English Civil War.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the name continued to be used, though not as widely as some other English names. One notable bearer was Sheldon Jackson (1834-1909), an American Presbyterian missionary and advocate for Native American rights, who helped establish schools and churches in Alaska and other western territories.

Other historical figures with the name Sheldon include Sheldon Whitehouse (1805-1869), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Senator from Maine, and Sheldon Leavitt Cullom (1829-1914), a Republican politician who served as the 16th Governor of Illinois and later as a U.S. Senator.