Find out how popular the last name Shelby is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shelby.

Shelby, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shelby surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shelby in America

Shelby is the 2912th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shelby surname appeared 12,303 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Shelby.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shelby to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shelby

The surname Shelby originated in England, and its roots can be traced back to the 11th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "scielf" meaning "shelf" or "ledge" and "byri" meaning "fort" or "dwelling." This combination of words suggests that the name may have been initially given to someone who lived near a sheltered ledge or dwelling place.

The earliest known record of the name appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. In this historical document, the name is spelled "Scelfbi," referring to a settlement in Derbyshire.

Over the centuries, the name evolved through various spellings, including Schelby, Scelby, and Shelbie, before settling on the modern spelling of Shelby. Some of these variations can be found in medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of 1176, where the name is recorded as "Scelbi."

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Sir Ralph Shelby, a prominent landowner in Leicestershire during the 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir John Shelby, who fought alongside King Edward III in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War in 1346.

In the 16th century, the Shelby family established themselves in Lincolnshire, where they owned substantial estates. Isaac Shelby (1750-1826), an American soldier and politician, was born in Maryland but traced his ancestry back to this Lincolnshire branch of the family. He served as the first and fifth Governor of Kentucky and played a crucial role in the Revolutionary War.

Another famous bearer of the name was Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), the renowned English Romantic poet. Although his surname is spelled differently, some genealogists have suggested a possible connection to the Shelby line.

In the 20th century, Carroll Shelby (1923-2012), an American automotive designer and racing driver, gained widespread recognition for his contributions to the automotive industry. He is best known for his involvement in the development of the iconic Shelby Mustang and the Shelby Cobra sports cars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shelby

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shelby.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shelby was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shelby has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Shelby was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Shelby, please contact us.

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