Shellene
A feminine name potentially derived from the word "shell", implying protection.
Name Census estimates that about 245 living Americans carry the first name Shellene. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Shellene today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shellene births was 1970 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shellene. 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.
People living today
245
~ 1 in 1,398,997 Americans
Peak year
1970
22 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
1984 SSA rank
#8,031
Tracked since 1949
Popularity
Shellene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shellene from the 1940s through to the 1980s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 117 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1960s peak, Shellene remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shellene 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 Shellene 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 Shellene
The name Shellene is believed to have its origins in the Greek language, derived from the word "shelios," which means "radiant" or "shining." This name first emerged during the Hellenistic period, which spanned from the 4th century BC to the 1st century BC.
Shellene was a relatively uncommon name in ancient Greece, but it did appear in a few historical records and texts from that time. One of the earliest known mentions of this name can be found in the writings of the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who referenced a woman named Shellene in one of his works on ethics.
As the Hellenistic culture spread across the Mediterranean region, the name Shellene gradually gained popularity in various parts of the ancient world. It was particularly favored among the Greek communities in Asia Minor and Egypt, where it was sometimes spelled as "Selene" or "Selenē," which was the name of the Greek goddess of the moon.
During the Byzantine era, which lasted from the 4th century AD to the 15th century AD, the name Shellene continued to be used, albeit with varying spellings and pronunciations. One notable figure from this period was Shellene of Constantinople, a noblewoman and philanthropist who lived in the 9th century AD and was renowned for her charitable works and patronage of the arts.
In the Middle Ages, the name Shellene found its way into various European regions, particularly in the areas influenced by the Byzantine Empire and the Eastern Orthodox Church. One example is Shellene of Kyiv, a princess of the Kyivan Rus' who lived in the 11th century AD and played a significant role in the Christianization of the region.
Throughout the Renaissance and early modern periods, Shellene remained a relatively uncommon name, but it was still used in certain parts of Europe, particularly in areas with strong Greek cultural influences or connections to the Eastern Orthodox tradition. One notable figure from this time was Shellene Mavrokordatos, a Greek noblewoman and poet who lived in the 17th century AD and was celebrated for her literary works.
In more recent centuries, the name Shellene has experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in English-speaking countries. While it is still considered a relatively rare name, it has been adopted by various families and individuals, often as a nod to its Greek heritage and the meaning of "radiance" or "shining."
People
Shellene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shellene 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
Shellene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shellene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 245 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shellene 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 1,398,997 US residents.
Is Shellene a common name?
We classify Shellene as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 290 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shellene most popular?
The single biggest year for Shellene was 1970, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shellene is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shellene a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Shellene 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.
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.