Shelley

Gender
Unisex (Masculine & Feminine | Boys and Girls)
Usage/Origins
Meaning
The name Shelley has several meanings, including "from the clearings on the ledge", "meadow on a shelf", or "little slope".
Pronunciation
SHEHL-ee
The name Shelley is pronounced as "SHEH-lee".
Popularity
The name Shelley is not as popular as it once was, but it is still used regularly in many English-speaking countries. In the United States, the name was most popular in the 1950s and 60s, but has since declined in popularity. In the UK, the name is still used regularly and is ranked at #1363 on the list of most popular names. In Canada, the name is less popular and is ranked at #2409 on the list of most popular names.

cartoon of the name Shelley
Cartoon of Shelley

Shelley Name meanings & History

The name Shelley has English origins and is derived from the Old English words "sceald" meaning "shelf" and "leah" meaning "wood" or "clearing". It can also be an abbreviation of the name Michelle. The name Shelley has several meanings, including "from the clearings on the ledge", "meadow on a shelf", or "little slope". From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "clearing on a bank" in Old English. Two famous bearers of the surname were Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), a romantic poet whose works include Adonais and Ozymandias, and Mary Shelley (1797-1851), his wife, the author of the horror story Frankenstein. As a feminine given name, it came into general use after the 1940s. The name Shelley can be used for both boys and girls. It is a versatile name that can work well for many different personalities and temperaments.

Zodiac Sign of Shelley: Success Capricorn

Synonyms of Shelley:

S: Status,Sex,Social Standing,Sensuality,Success,Security,Solidity

H: Hyper,Heart's Desire,Hope,Haggle,Hobnobbing

E: Enlighten,Exaggerate,Enliven,Environment,Entertain,Expressive

L: Liaison,Lover,Lovely,Lazy,Languid,Luscious,Legal

Y: Yen/money,Yin/Yang,Youth-giving

Shelley is:

  • a Class name
  • a Classic name
  • a Refined name
  • a Simple name
  • a Strange name
  • a Upper name
  • a Wholesome name

Famous People

Some famous people with the name Shelley include English romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and American actress Shelley Long.

2.) Shelley (Male)

Usage: English

Meanings: (English) a familiar form of Shelby, Sheldon, Shelton.

Other Forms: Shell, Shellea, Shellee, Shelleigh, Shelli, Shellie, Shelly


3.) SHELLEY (Female)

Usage: English

Meanings: Transferred use of the surname derived from Old English components meaning “clearing on or near a slope.” Shelley was originally bestowed upon both male and female children. Now, however, it is exclusively a female name. Var: Shellie, Shelli, Shelly. Short: Shell. (SHEL-EE)


4.) SHELLEY (Female)

Usage: Irish

Meanings: Transferred use of the English surname originating from the place-name Scelf-leah, a compounding of the elements scelf, scylfe (shelf, ledge, slope) and leah (wood, clearing, meadow): hence, “clearing on or near a slope.” The name was originally bestowed upon both male and female children. Now, however, it is exclusively a female name. (SHEL-LEE)


5.) Shelley (Female)

Usage: English

Meanings: Wood beside cliff

Other Forms: Shellie, Shelly


6.) Shelley (Female)

Usage: English

Meanings: (English) outdoorsy; meadow

Other Forms: Shelee, Shelli, Shelly


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