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

Shelly, 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 Shelly surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shelly in America

Shelly is the 6598th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shelly surname appeared 5,134 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Shelly.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shelly 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 Shelly

The surname Shelly is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "scylf," meaning a shelf or ledge. It is believed to have originated as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a cliff or rocky outcrop.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "de Schelfe." This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the name was commonly spelled in various ways, including Shelly, Shelley, Shellie, and Schellie. These variations reflected regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling practices of the time.

The surname Shelly was particularly prevalent in the county of Sussex, where it was often associated with specific place names, such as Shelly Hill and Shelly Beach. These locations likely contributed to the widespread adoption of the surname in the area.

One notable figure with the surname Shelly was Sir John Shelly (1518-1550), a prominent landowner and member of the English gentry. He served as a Member of Parliament for Sussex during the reign of King Henry VIII.

Another historical figure was Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), the renowned English Romantic poet. Although his surname was spelled slightly differently, he is considered one of the greatest lyric poets of the 19th century.

In the 16th century, William Shelly (1556-1630) was a prominent English theologian and author. He served as the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London and wrote several influential works on religious topics.

Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797-1851), the author of the iconic novel "Frankenstein," was born Mary Wollstonecraft and took her husband's surname after marrying Percy Bysshe Shelley.

Another notable bearer of the surname was Richard Shelly (1840-1920), an American businessman and industrialist who founded the Shelly Knitting Mills, one of the largest textile companies in the United States at the time.

Throughout its history, the surname Shelly has been closely associated with England, particularly the southern counties. Its origins can be traced back to the Old English language, and it has been carried by numerous notable individuals across various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shelly

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

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 Shelly 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 Shelly 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 Shelly was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!