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Home › Baby Names Directory › Shelton

Shelton

♂ Boy

How to Pronounce Shelton

Pronounced SHEL-tən /ˈʃɛl.tən/High

Meaning: From an English place-name/surname — Old English scylf, 'a ledge, a shelf of land', plus tun, 'town' — 'the town on a ledge'Medium

In 30 seconds: The town on a ledge: Shelton is the English 'the shelf-land town'. Crisp, distinguished, and warm (nickname Shel).
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningFrom an English place-name/surname — Old English scylf, 'a ledge, a shelf of land', plus tun, 'town' — 'the town on a ledge'
U.S. rank (2024)#5195 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births19 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1972
Total births (all-time)≈ 11,950

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197218802024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Shelton comes from an English place-name and surname — Old English scylf, 'a ledge, a shelf of land', plus tun, 'town, settlement' — 'the town on a ledge'. A crisp, distinguished surname-name; nickname Shel.

It registers thinly as a first name. Rare, the-shelf-land-town at the root, and distinguished.

Did you know? Shelton means 'the town on a ledge or shelf of land' (Old English scylf + tun) — a crisp surname-name (The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon echoes it; nickname Shel).
Overall data confidence 68%
Surname references — Shelton — etymology

Variations

SheldonSkelton

Nicknames

Shel

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Shelton…

Sheldon— a sound-neighbor surname-name
Shelby— another Shel- surname-name
Weston— a fellow -ton name
Stanton— lands in the same popularity range
Benton— shares Shelton's English roots

Explore names like Shelton

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Shelton mean?

Shelton is English for 'the town on a ledge/shelf of land'.

How do you pronounce Shelton?

It's said SHEL-tən /ˈʃɛl.tən/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Shelton a boy or girl name?

Shelton is a boy's name.

How popular is Shelton?

Shelton is a rare name in the U.S.

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