Shelva
Every Shelva since 1936 — 1,131 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Shelva
Shelva is not currently in use for newborns in the United States — fewer than five babies received the name in 2025. Its story lives in the historical record below.
Since 1936, 1,131 American babies have been named Shelva. Its peak came in 1937, when 194 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1930s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Shelva stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Shelva year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | — | — |
| 2024 | — | — | — | — |
| 2023 | — | — | — | — |
| 2022 | — | — | — | — |
| 2021 | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | — | — | — | — |
| 2019 | — | — | — | — |
| 2018 | — | — | — | — |
| 2017 | — | — | — | — |
| 2016 | — | — | — | — |
| 2015 | — | — | — | — |
| 2014 | — | — | — | — |
| 2013 | — | — | — | — |
| 2012 | — | — | — | — |
| 2011 | — | — | — | — |
| 2010 | — | — | — | — |
| 2009 | — | — | — | — |
| 2008 | — | — | — | — |
| 2007 | — | — | — | — |
| 2006 | — | — | — | — |
| 2005 | — | — | — | — |
| 2004 | — | — | — | — |
| 2003 | — | — | — | — |
| 2002 | — | — | — | — |
| 2001 | — | — | — | — |
| 2000 | — | — | — | — |
| 1995 | — | — | — | — |
| 1990 | — | — | — | — |
| 1985 | — | — | — | — |
| 1980 | 5 | #11,852 | — | — |
| 1975 | 7 | #7,823 | — | — |
| 1970 | 8 | #6,270 | — | — |
| 1965 | — | — | — | — |
| 1960 | 11 | #4,131 | — | — |
| 1955 | 16 | #2,951 | — | — |
| 1950 | 18 | #2,420 | — | — |
| 1945 | 13 | #2,578 | — | — |
| 1940 | 70 | #857 | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Frequently asked questions
How popular is the name Shelva in 2025?
Shelva did not appear in the 2025 Social Security data, which means fewer than five babies received the name that year.
How many people are named Shelva?
1,131 babies have been named Shelva in the United States since 1936, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Shelva most popular?
Shelva peaked in 1937, when 194 newborns received the name.
Is Shelva a boy or girl name?
Shelva is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Shelva rising or falling?
Shelva has been roughly stable over the past decade.