It's a cool name that I can picture on any gender quite easily. Gives a bit of coolness as a feminine name, gives a touch of softness in the sound as a masculine name. I hope if this is your name you are proud and happy with it! Naturally I think of the classic muscle car design of vintage Mustangs, so that's what lends this name a positive, effortlessly cool image.
I was also named after the Steel Magnolias character, Shelby. Such an amazing actor, one of my favorites. Plus the plot of the movie was amazing and they chose such great names for the characters ;)
My name is Shelby. I love my name no matter what people say... I always hear people saying "it reminds me of shells" yet I always hated the nickname Shell and Shells! I don't think it is very common though a boy entered my school and his name was Shelby. If you are thinking of a name for your child and it's a boy, Shelby is not the one. Very girly and feminine. Everyone always says they love my name...i was born in 2011 and I have met about 3 female Shelbys and hear about a boy Shelby in my school. So cute though, my middle name is Bryn. I do suppose nicknames like Bee, Shelb, Shelbs, Shellbee (Shell-bees), and Belby (my mother's nickname for me) are cute nicknames but i hate nicknames like Shell, Shells, Shelly...the meaning of the name is the opposite of those nicknames! I love how rare it is and how I can get a car that has the same name as me ;)
My twin sister's called Shelby, the name isn't popular in the UK though, she was named after Carroll Shelby. We were born in 2007, so the name is still thriving!
I have experienced some conflicting feelings about my name over the past 16 years (I’m 26) seeing as how I’m a fella named Shelby, but after having 3 other people share my name in my third grade class (who all three of were girls) I had a great opportunity to confront the idea that women will share the name with me. What I came away with is that despite anyone else who has it, is that it’s my name too. Even though my name is found to be used more for women that doesn’t change the fact that as long as I carry it on myself as my name, it remains to be a man’s name as well.
Cute name, but it makes me think of stuffed shells, and that makes me hungry.
― Anonymous User 3/28/2021
1
I'm trans and this is my deadname so while I think it IS very cute in a not-used-to-refer-to-me context everyone dunking on it in the comments is making me laugh.
― Anonymous User 3/3/2021
-4
Unusual, rare name. I like it a lot! It's interesting, unusual, just a beautiful name and it fits well for a female, but not for a male. Sweet!
Hiya I'm 17 and I'm a transgirl and I've been having trouble with finding a new name. Like I've made a whole list of names to choose from but one I always come back to is Shelby. Growing up my pappa had a big mixed breed dog named Shelby. When I would spend time with my pappa she would always be by my side protecting me and making sure I was safe and I have a lot good memories with her so when I hear Shelby I think of a protector in a way but when I brought up changing my name to that with my girlfriend it surprised me when she said it sounded hella basic. I asked most of my friends about it and half of them said it sounded basic too which kinda makes me sad tbh I'm thinking of changing it to Shelby even though I'm worried about being judged for it. So I'll leave off with this, if you are thinking of changing your name (trans or not) don't be afraid of other peoples opinion. Don't be like me lmao.
Oh, I think Shelby is cute. You don't listen to it every day, which makes it more special. I think it has its charm and it strikes me as a much prettier name than Kelly, Jenny or Holly. I think it's a very nice name and I can't quite understand why people have such a low opinion of it.
For anyone who thinks Shelby is a masculine name... Shelby is a girl in our class who is really tough, I dare you to say that to her face and she will smack you to China and back, lol. And plus, she has lots and lots of friends so you don’t say that ever again without getting murdered by a million other people.
― Anonymous User 11/25/2020
-6
Ew, I hate this name. Something about it just is like... No, lol. Shelby & any other spelling of this name are just gross in my opinion. Thankful that that isn't my name.
― Anonymous User 8/20/2020
-11
Shelby is my cousin's dog's name. She is one of the most darling dogs on this Earth, so I kinda love this name. Not really for humans though.
This name is sooo dumb, like an idiot person would name someone that. Like what the heck?! *cross arms* *eye roll*
― Anonymous User 11/4/2019
-12
For me, Shelby is the name of my first love, so this name will always seem lovely to me.
― Anonymous User 9/21/2019
1
I don't understand why the 'automotive' connotations are seen as bad. Being named after the legendary Carroll Shelby is something special. (google him)
My only link with Shelby is a character in 'American Horror Story: Roanoke' as I've never seen 'The Woman in Red' (unfortunately).After the TV series's link I find Shelby too surnamey and nicknamey. It is worse than Shelley which has instead a strong literarian vibe.Then Shelby is too similar to the Italian adjective 'scialbo' that means "dull, faint, colourless, flat' so it has quite the same personality.My rating for it is 2/10.
Another automobile related name that sounds trashy on a human, like Mercedes, Bentley, and Lexus.
― Anonymous User 2/14/2019
-2
Low class trash truck name. Ditz-o-rama.
― Anonymous User 2/14/2019
-7
My name is Shelby and I think it sounds sort of like something a pole dancer would call herself to be honest, but I think it can sound brave and beautiful too, depending on how you say it I guess. I think the name sounds feminine and masculine in my opinion. My dad got to choose my name and I'm honestly glad he chose Shelby (he's really into cars and so am I) and my uncle calls me Shelby Cobra or just Cobra because of the car and I like that. To me, Shelby sounds like a blonde or black haired girl's name. I don't know, call me weird but that's my opinion.
I knew a teenage mom who gave her daughter this name. I have never cared for it because it sounds trashy and unfeminine. This name ruined Steel Magnolias for me. They should've called that character Louisa or Savannah instead.
My best friend is named Shelby. She is very creative and nice. Shelby is beautiful just like her name so it fits perfectly! This is going to be my future baby girl's middle name. :)
I'm 14 and I hate my name. It sounds like trash, and it doesn't sound professional. I don't know any successful Shelby's. People say I have a pretty name but I just can't stand when I hear people say my name.
― Anonymous User 7/8/2016
-3
I've always had a soft spot for the name Shelby on a girl. Like Lucy, it makes me think of a sweet, soft spoken and smart young girl :3.
I love this name. If I have a daughter, I might name her Shelby. This name is too feminine for a boy. This name is cute, so I might give her a more mature middle name(s). Euhnneek spellings like "Shellbie", and "Shelbi" are just terrible. But I love the name Shelby. It does remind me of a shell, but that's cute.I don't know anyone called Shelby, but I have heard of a few people called that.
For some reason (and do remember, this is just my view even if it may slide into the category of "immaturity") I typically picture a "Shelby" on a chubby\overweight type of female.
― Anonymous User 1/10/2016
-4
I don't like this name on either gender. Not necessarily because of the sound, but because the only Shelby I ever knew was a rich, snobbish, annoying and spoiled brat that bragged about every little thing that happened to her. Anyway, I don't like the sound much, either.
― Anonymous User 11/28/2015
-3
Well, I love this name. My husband and I picked this name before we were even married or pregnant. I named my son Shelby Jackson (Dad's name is Jack!). He is 23 years old now and didn't love it growing up, probably because all of his teachers automatically assumed he was a girl before actually meeting him in class. Both his father and I still really like his name and feel that it suits him. However, to set the record straight, yes, he was named after Steel Magnolias to an extent. Even in the movie, Daryl Hannah's character tells Shelby's mother that she is naming her unborn child after Shelby. Shelby's mother asks "Well what if it's a boy?" and she says, "Well, Shelby, I guess!" So to me that made it alright for both a girl or boy. Just wanted to add something for everyone to think about, be "Shelby" your own name or a name you like for naming.
This is my name and I always thought it sounded really dumb and childish, which is why I sometimes go by my middle name, but that sounds even MORE dumb and childish. I really cannot imagine being 70 and people calling me Shelby. Seriously, whenever I hear people say my name aloud, I cringe a little. Also, I had a teacher in high school who was really into Mustangs, so when ever he called my name he would say "Mustang Shelby".
― Anonymous User 9/22/2011
-2
This is my name, but I don't like it very much. I wish my full first name was Michelle and that Shelby was my nickname.
This spelling of Shelby just looks a bit strange to me. But that's probably because this is one of my best friend's names but it's spelled ShelbIE. I don't know why they don't have that on here. I guess it's just a really rare spelling.
This is my name and I really don't like it. When I'm older I'll probably go by my middle name or change Shelby to something else. I get called so many nicknames most of which suck. Sheebie, Sheby, Shelber, Shelburt, Sherbert. That last one is kinda funny.
― Anonymous User 3/2/2009
0
I like this name. It's cute. My parents gave me the idea of using it. I might just use it one day.
My name is Shelby, and I was named simply because my mother thought it was rare, until those peaches came out, the toys. Of course, the cars were first. It does have originality, but as I grow older, I'm not liking it too much, because there aren't any real nicknames to go with it, and everyone calls me Shelley, so I can't write cursive.
I can't imagine this name on a guy, it's definitely very feminine. It sounds like Shelly, and it has that ''ee'' sound to it, even if a short one. It's a cute name, but a tad too cute. It sounds more like a little girl name than the name of a mature, grown woman. Of course, I've never heard of successful women mamed Shelby, which might give me that idea. This name is still much better than monstrosities like Coco, Keeley, Angel, and other infantile names like that.
This is a really beautiful and classy name! I love the soft SH sound. When I was a kid I wished this was my name, now I will settle for giving the name to my kid.
― Anonymous User 3/3/2007
3
I called my daughter Shelby. Loved the name and still do, she is now 14 and there are only 2 in her school.
This is the most awful name I've ever heard. It reminds me of a turtle. Shelby sounds like a trailor trash name.
― Anonymous User 3/2/2007
-8
There is no "other" way to spell Shelby. Adding random letters just makes the name meaningless, trendy, and made up in general, I'm sorry it's ridiculous.
My name is Shelby and I'm named after a 1968 Shelby Mustang GT. I used to love my name but it sort of lost its charm when everyone started naming their kids Shelby and then it got really bad when they started changing the spelling to make it "trendy".
Naturally I think of the classic muscle car design of vintage Mustangs, so that's what lends this name a positive, effortlessly cool image.