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Real life Shelby here! I didn’t love it growing up, still find it just fine. My Mom still really likes it and I get complimented on it from time to time.

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I didn’t like that it had no easy nicknames growing up. I have never met a dog with my name but could see it working well. I was the only Shelby in my class (another moved to my school in third grade) and there were three in the year below me. I don’t like most Shelby’s I’ve met and find the name either feels dated and clunky or sourthern charm adjacent wannabe. I’ve met someone who’s mother (born in the 40s was named Shelby) otherwise almost all of them are around my age range of 30ish.

I can’t tell you why I don’t like it, I just don’t.

Don't really like it

On a personal note, I have a coworker with this name. Since my name is Chelsea, a lot of students (another staff members for that matter) get us mixed up.

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Anyways this name always felt awkward to me. Just having a B in the middle felt weird, I don’t know how to explain it.

I've only known one Shelby. I guess she was ok. Kind of a dry personality but not a bad person. I think of the Shelby Mustang, mostly. One of my great grandpas, however many generations back, was named Shelby Caleb. That was first time I heard of it on a male. Either, it's thumbs down for me. Just not a fan, no particular reason.

I knew a Shelby, and she destroyed the name for me. It's not the worst name, and I thought it was cool before I met her.

Shelby is actually my least favorite name ever. I don't know what it did to deserve this fate, but it gives me "very annoying child" vibes.

I've met too many dogs named Shelby to see it as a real person's name. The others you listed are lovely, especially Saoirse. Some other nice ones in that vein are Siobhan, Sinead and Shelley (I mainly like the last one for the literary cred).

I... have never seen the appeal of Shelby. Sorry. It has always come across as stereotypically hickish to me, and aside from impressions the sound has always grated in my ears. (I don't like Shelly either, but that B somehow makes it worse.) Of the other names you posted, Saoirse is the only one that I like, to be honest. So... I guess this whole category of names is one I'm not fond of.

I can’t say I dislike it, but there is someone named Shelby who I hate irl. It’s quite appealing.