Meaning & Origin
A surname from Old English, variant of Shelley.
Shelly is a girl's and boy's baby name of Old English origin, a variant of Shelley, from a habitational surname meaning 'clearing on a ledge' or 'sloped meadow.' It gained widespread use as a given name in the mid-20th century United States.
Shelly peaked in the 1960s and 1970s, fitting neatly into the era's love of soft, breezy names. It shares a literary connection with the Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, adding an unexpected cultural layer to its easygoing sound.