Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Sheldon

Sheldon is the transferred use of an English surname into a masculine personal name. The surname finds its origins in several towns so called Sheldon in Derbyshire, Devon and Warwickshire, England; such location-based surnames were given to men who hailed from one of these towns and then relocated elsewhere – it was used as a means of identification. In other words, a man residing in London called Robert Sheldon would be known as the Robert whose birthplace was Sheldon.  Sheldon means “steep-sided valley,” derived from the Olde English elements “scylf” (a shelf or slope) and “denu” (a valley). Such a place name would have been used to describe the area upon which a settlement was built; in this case, a valley with steep sides. The surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086 rendered as Sildened, later evolving into Sheldon by the 16th century. As a masculine forename, Sheldon, like many surnames-turned-first-names, came into use in the 19th century.

All About the Baby Name – Sheldon

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME SHELDON

The number Five personality loves the excitement of life and can easily adapt to all situations. As natural adventurers, these personalities thrive on the new and unexpected and prefer to be in constant motion. It makes them feel alive. They'll stir up some action if there's not enough around, and as inherent risk-takers they enjoy pushing the envelope. Naturally rebellious, the Five personality has no fear and never resists change.  Traveling and new experiences feed their souls. Fives are very social and attract friends with ease. People love to be around the Five fun-loving and exciting energy.  This is also a lucky number in numerology (like the Threes), so fortune seems to shine on them, helped along by their own optimism and good-nature. Fives have a quick wit, a cerebral mind, and are generally very persuasive. 

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME SHELDON

At one point in American history, Sheldon did moderately well. However, today, this name is considered a little crusty and old-fashioned. The name’s high point on the charts came in 1936 when it ranked #247 nationwide. Recently, in 2013, Sheldon fell off of America’s Top 1000 list. Even the reluctantly charming character of Sheldon Cooper on the popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory hasn’t been able to rescue usage of this name. Still, there’s something sweetly old-manish about a name like Sheldon. Shel and Shelley are common nicknames. 

Quick Facts

ON SHELDON

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

944

PRONUNCIATION:

SHEL-dən

SIMPLE MEANING:

Steep-sided valley

Characteristics

OF SHELDON

Freedom-loving

Adventurous

Adaptable

Intellectual

Easygoing

Progressive

Sensual

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Sheldon

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME SHELDON

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

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME SHELDON

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Sheldon


Popular Songs

ON SHELDON

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


Famous People

NAMED SHELDON

Sheldon "Shel" Silverstein (children's book author)
Sheldon Harnick (lyricist)
Sheldon Adelson (American billionaire)
Sheldon Brown (football player)
Sheldon Lee Glashow (physicist)
Sheldon Jackson (missionary)
Sheldon Leonard (actor)
Sheldon Brookbank (Canadian hockey player)
Sheldon Kennedy (hockey player)
Sheldon Souray (hockey player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED SHELDON

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

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME SHELDON

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