Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Shelby

Shelby is the transferred use of an English surname derived from a place name known as Selby in Yorkshire. Originally rendered as Selby or Selbie, Shelby is ultimately of Old Norse origin by way of the Vikings (Selby, England was established in the 8th century as a Viking settlement on the banks of the River Ouse in northeast England). The name comes from the Old Norse elements “selja” meaning “willow” and “býr” meaning “farm, settlement,” in other words, “willow town” (indicating that the original settlement was built up around willow trees). The willow tree is known for its graceful elegance and pliancy of wood. Willows grow in cold and temperate climates throughout the Northern Hemisphere and often near water. The tree’s branches can bend into unbelievable poses without breaking. In Celtic mythology there is a strong association between the willow tree and the moon/water, and as such connected with the metaphysical and encouragement of intuition and imagination. This bendable tree can withstand harsh environments, symbolizing our flexibility to adjust no matter where we are planted. Location-based surnames were usually assigned to people who hailed from one place and later relocated to another. The name of their birth town would serve to identify them. The first recorded spelling of this particular surname appeared in the late 12th century rendered as “de Selebia.” As a forename, Shelby’s usage was initially masculine in honor of Isaac Shelby (1750-1826), an American Revolutionary War commander and first governor of Kentucky. It wouldn’t be much later until the 20th century when Shelby started to emerge as a female giving name, owing largely to a 1935 film, “The Woman in Red”, starring Barbara Stanwyck as Shelby Barret Wyatt.

All About the Baby Name – Shelby

Personality

OF THE GIRL NAME SHELBY

The number Eight personality has everything to do with power, wealth and abundance. Somehow, this personality has been blessed on the material plane, but their authoritative and problem-solving traits provide evidence that their good fortunes are not just the luck of the lottery. They are well earned. This is the personality of CEOs and high-ranking military personnel. Eights are intensely active, hard-driving individuals. Success is only meaningful to them after a job well-done.  They are remarkable in their ability to see the larger picture right down to the smallest details, and organize a strategy around success. They then have the ability to direct a group around them toward any goal, and realize individual potential to get the most out of their team.

Popularity

OF THE GIRL NAME SHELBY

As mentioned above, Shelby started out as a masculine name in America, in the early 19th century in homage to the Revolutionary War hero and Congressional Gold Medal recipient Isaac Shelby. Although never particularly popular as a baby boy’s name, Shelby saw consistent and respectable usage up through the 20th century. The name suddenly appeared on the female naming charts in 1935 and skyrocketed in popularity (thanks to the film “The Woman in Red” mentioned above). You can clearly see by the chart below what an impact the movie had on Shelby becoming a widely accepted female name. However, Shelby’s peak usage occurred in in 1991 at #33 on the charts – again, influenced by a popular film. This time, Shelby’s increased circulation was owing to Julia Roberts who played a character named Shelby in the 1989 movie “Steel Magnolias.” Not surprisingly, Shelby has always been most popular as a female name in the Southern states. Although we still consider Shelby a gender-neutral name, it fell off the male charts in the year 2000. Today, out of all of the babies given the name Shelby in any given year, 97% of them are female.

Quick Facts

ON SHELBY

GENDER:

Girl

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

259

PRONUNCIATION:

SHEL-bee

SIMPLE MEANING:

Willow Town

Characteristics

OF SHELBY

Authoritative

Powerful

Tough

Tenacious

Wealthy

Problem-solver

Achiever

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Shelby

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME SHELBY

Arthur Shelby is a minor but pivotal character in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 classic, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. It is his action upon which the novel turns. Arthur Shelby is a kindhearted Kentucky farmer who, needing funds, decides to sell two of his slaves, the eponymous Uncle Tom and Harry, the son of Mrs. Shelby’s maid, Eliza. Both Mrs. Shelby and her son, George, are very upset, but the decision is made. Eliza escapes with her son by night, and Uncle Tom is sold “upriver”. The heartrending results of Arthur Shelby’s action unfold chapter by chapter in Ms. Stowe’s sentimental novel, with varying outcomes for various characters. In the end, George Shelby, having arrived to buy Uncle Tom out of the rapacious ownership of Simon Legree, finds he is too late; Uncle Tom is dead. Returning home, George frees all the farm’s slaves. And we proceed to the Civil War.

Emily Shelby is a character in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s famous 1852 anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Emily is the wife of Mr. Shelby, the slave owner of Tom. She is an upstanding Christian, a loving and loveable woman, and she abhors slavery. When Mr. Shelby sells Tom, it is Emily Shelby who does her utmost to save up enough money to try and buy him back to be with his wife. Her efforts are in vain against the monstrosity of the system, but her kind heart does much to alleviate the suffering around her.

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Shelby

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME SHELBY

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Shelby


Popular Songs

ON SHELBY

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Shelby


Famous People

NAMED SHELBY

Shelby Foote (author)
Shelby Lynne (country musician)
Shelby Steele (black activist and scholar)
Shelby Foote (author)
Shelby Lynne (country musician)
Shelby Steele (black activist and scholar)
Shelby Foote (author)
Shelby Lynne (country musician)
Shelby Steele (black activist and scholar)

Children of Famous People

NAMED SHELBY

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Shelby

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME SHELBY

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Shelby