Shelby

S1H4E1L1B3Y4
/ˈʃɛlbi/

proper noun

A surname from Old English.

Similar
Shelbi
OriginMiddle English Selby →
CommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

proper noun
  1. A surname from Old English.
  2. A unisex given name transferred from the surname.
    1. A female given name transferred from the surname.

      As they walked, Shelby reached down and gently took Alan's hand to hold. They warmly exchanged a smile with each other just before Shelby looked down and Alan blushed. Whenever she was with Alan he made her feel like an innocent girl again.

      2008, Raymond Smith II, An American Odyssey, →ISBN, page 70
    2. A male given name transferred from the surname.
  3. A number of places in the United States:
    1. A census-designated place in Shelby County, Alabama.
    2. A census-designated place in Cedar Creek Township, Lake County, Indiana.
    3. A minor city in Pottawattamie County and Shelby County, Iowa.
    4. A village in Oceana County, Michigan.
    5. A city in Bolivar County, Mississippi.
    6. An unincorporated community in Linn County, Missouri.
    7. A city, the county seat of Toole County, Montana.
    8. A village in Polk County, Nebraska.
    9. A town in Orleans County, New York.
    10. A city, the county seat of Cleveland County, North Carolina.
    11. A city in Richland County, Ohio.
    12. An unincorporated community in Austin County, Texas.
    13. A town and unincorporated community therein, in La Crosse County, Wisconsin.
    14. A number of townships in the United States, listed under Shelby Township.
    15. abbreviationellipsisEllipsis of Shelby County.

Synonyms & antonyms

female given name

Similar
Shelbi

Origin

  1. Middle EnglishSelby
  2. EnglishShelby

From a medieval name, of obscure origin, yet likely an alteration of Middle English Selby, Salibi (“dweller of the willow place”), from salwe (“willow, sallow”) + -by (“settlement, farm”).

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

Helsby
Cite this entry
APA

Shelby. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shelby

MLA

“Shelby.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shelby. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Shelby,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Shelby.

Source: Shelby on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.