Old English origin
Source-reportedMeaning: “shelf” + “hill”
From Old English scylf (“shelf”) + dūn (“hill”) or denu (“valley”).
Sources for this account (1)
- Wiktionary: SheldonCC-BY-SA-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Loading your next page…
Loading your next page…
A name. A world of connections.
“shelf” + “hill”
Hear the name
English (Southern England)
01 / Meaning & origin
Sheldon is a masculine given name documented in English. English Wiktionary traces it to Old English scylf, from the components “shelf” + “hill”.
2 source accounts
Meaning: “shelf” + “hill”
From Old English scylf (“shelf”) + dūn (“hill”) or denu (“valley”).
stang. scylf + dun + denu
02 / Across borders
Explore official naming statistics and documented language connections around the world.
The name atlas
12
countries in our sources
Select a country to follow Sheldon’s connections around the world.
6 countries with official statistics. Language records show cultural connections; they do not measure how common a name is.
Selected country
Statistics + language records
United States, 2025: 46 boys (rank 2765). Documented as a given name in English.
Explore United States4 of 12 countries
03 / By the numbers
Follow the spelling through the years, one published dataset at a time.
1880–2025 Spelling: Sheldon
Hover to explore a year. Use arrow keys when a chart point has focus.
Source: US Social Security Administration; redistributed by nkrishnaswami · SSA national baby names, 1880–2025 (CC0 redistribution)
Integer application counts retained without rounding.
Per million is unavailable: this source has no matching published total.
| Year | Applications | Rank | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1881 | 7 | 706 | observed |
| 1882 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1883 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1884 | 7 | 764 | observed |
| 1885 | 5 | 936 | observed |
| 1886 | 5 | 959 | observed |
| 1887 | 6 | 819 | observed |
| 1888 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1889 | 6 | 878 | observed |
| 1890 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1891 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1892 | 9 | 748 | observed |
| 1893 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1894 | 6 | 954 | observed |
| 1895 | no value | no value | not covered |
| 1896 | 8 | 826 | observed |
| 1897 | 7 | 852 | observed |
| 1898 | 6 | 1,002 | observed |
| 1899 | 5 | 1,051 | observed |
| 1900 | 13 | 699 | observed |
| 1901 | 11 | 637 | observed |
| 1902 | 10 | 744 | observed |
| 1903 | 10 | 734 | observed |
| 1904 | 12 | 686 | observed |
| 1905 | 5 | 1,233 | observed |
| 1906 | 17 | 568 | observed |
| 1907 | 15 | 664 | observed |
| 1908 | 16 | 657 | observed |
| 1909 | 17 | 653 | observed |
| 1910 | 15 | 782 | observed |
| 1911 | 25 | 605 | observed |
| 1912 | 73 | 463 | observed |
| 1913 | 59 | 564 | observed |
| 1914 | 90 | 516 | observed |
| 1915 | 125 | 493 | observed |
| 1916 | 135 | 488 | observed |
| 1917 | 147 | 470 | observed |
| 1918 | 170 | 455 | observed |
| 1919 | 198 | 416 | observed |
| 1920 | 200 | 422 | observed |
| 1921 | 223 | 406 | observed |
| 1922 | 233 | 391 | observed |
| 1923 | 243 | 380 | observed |
| 1924 | 311 | 329 | observed |
| 1925 | 323 | 318 | observed |
| 1926 | 351 | 303 | observed |
| 1927 | 370 | 302 | observed |
| 1928 | 421 | 276 | observed |
| 1929 | 403 | 276 | observed |
| 1930 | 405 | 282 | observed |
| 1931 | 410 | 272 | observed |
| 1932 | 423 | 265 | observed |
| 1933 | 429 | 252 | observed |
| 1934 | 462 | 250 | observed |
| 1935 | 465 | 249 | observed |
| 1936 | 453 | 247 | observed |
| 1937 | 437 | 257 | observed |
| 1938 | 438 | 262 | observed |
| 1939 | 374 | 285 | observed |
| 1940 | 384 | 284 | observed |
| 1941 | 414 | 283 | observed |
| 1942 | 432 | 292 | observed |
| 1943 | 458 | 286 | observed |
| 1944 | 380 | 310 | observed |
| 1945 | 368 | 309 | observed |
| 1946 | 395 | 323 | observed |
| 1947 | 429 | 333 | observed |
| 1948 | 401 | 336 | observed |
| 1949 | 377 | 345 | observed |
| 1950 | 404 | 335 | observed |
| 1951 | 320 | 380 | observed |
| 1952 | 367 | 354 | observed |
| 1953 | 323 | 391 | observed |
| 1954 | 409 | 354 | observed |
| 1955 | 353 | 383 | observed |
| 1956 | 414 | 363 | observed |
| 1957 | 425 | 373 | observed |
| 1958 | 412 | 385 | observed |
| 1959 | 377 | 408 | observed |
| 1960 | 390 | 401 | observed |
| 1961 | 408 | 394 | observed |
| 1962 | 436 | 384 | observed |
| 1963 | 398 | 404 | observed |
| 1964 | 412 | 393 | observed |
| 1965 | 396 | 393 | observed |
| 1966 | 392 | 386 | observed |
| 1967 | 390 | 382 | observed |
| 1968 | 402 | 388 | observed |
| 1969 | 408 | 390 | observed |
| 1970 | 416 | 392 | observed |
| 1971 | 382 | 412 | observed |
| 1972 | 324 | 440 | observed |
| 1973 | 338 | 426 | observed |
| 1974 | 361 | 411 | observed |
| 1975 | 368 | 399 | observed |
| 1976 | 391 | 392 | observed |
| 1977 | 339 | 430 | observed |
| 1978 | 316 | 448 | observed |
| 1979 | 322 | 451 | observed |
| 1980 | 321 | 468 | observed |
| 1981 | 323 | 462 | observed |
| 1982 | 274 | 513 | observed |
| 1983 | 294 | 491 | observed |
| 1984 | 305 | 479 | observed |
| 1985 | 326 | 480 | observed |
| 1986 | 352 | 463 | observed |
| 1987 | 367 | 462 | observed |
| 1988 | 387 | 462 | observed |
| 1989 | 391 | 484 | observed |
| 1990 | 501 | 441 | observed |
| 1991 | 547 | 414 | observed |
| 1992 | 608 | 380 | observed |
| 1993 | 490 | 446 | observed |
| 1994 | 520 | 437 | observed |
| 1995 | 493 | 458 | observed |
| 1996 | 460 | 476 | observed |
| 1997 | 454 | 475 | observed |
| 1998 | 401 | 520 | observed |
| 1999 | 363 | 552 | observed |
| 2000 | 301 | 623 | observed |
| 2001 | 329 | 601 | observed |
| 2002 | 265 | 687 | observed |
| 2003 | 230 | 767 | observed |
| 2004 | 239 | 760 | observed |
| 2005 | 257 | 772 | observed |
| 2006 | 242 | 841 | observed |
| 2007 | 206 | 955 | observed |
| 2008 | 211 | 952 | observed |
| 2009 | 189 | 1,027 | observed |
| 2010 | 200 | 984 | observed |
| 2011 | 176 | 1,066 | observed |
| 2012 | 216 | 942 | observed |
| 2013 | 180 | 1,054 | observed |
| 2014 | 166 | 1,143 | observed |
| 2015 | 140 | 1,279 | observed |
| 2016 | 131 | 1,356 | observed |
| 2017 | 134 | 1,335 | observed |
| 2018 | 126 | 1,396 | observed |
| 2019 | 110 | 1,534 | observed |
| 2020 | 79 | 1,872 | observed |
| 2021 | 72 | 2,040 | observed |
| 2022 | 68 | 2,150 | observed |
| 2023 | 60 | 2,315 | observed |
| 2024 | 81 | 1,938 | observed |
| 2025 | 46 | 2,765 | observed |
Statistics count the spelling “Sheldon” as recorded by the publisher. When a spelling has several independent origins, the counts are not split between them. Counts measure applications. Gaps are years without a published value, not zeros.
Rates per million are unavailable for this series because no compatible denominator has been imported.
Retrieved 2026-10-15 · CC0-1.0
Read our methodology04 / Through time
People on Wikidata whose recorded given name is this item (not necessarily their first name), ordered by number of Wikipedia articles. Their names may use a different spelling.
A little story to keep
Take the story of Sheldon with you. Create a personal name passport with its meaning, roots and connections.
06 / Behind the facts
Review status: Source-reported — no editorial review recorded yet. Last data change 2026-10-15.
SSA national baby names, 1880–2025 (CC0 redistribution)
US Social Security Administration; redistributed by nkrishnaswami · CC0-1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Ontario first baby names, 1913–2023 (verified redistribution)
Government of Ontario; redistributed by helloharun · OGL-ON-1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Ontario top baby names, historical archive 1917–2013
Government of Ontario (Office of the Registrar General) · OGL-ON-1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
British Columbia — 100 Years of Popular Baby Names (first names used 5 or more times), 1926-2025
Government of British Columbia, Vital Statistics Agency · OGL-BC (Open Government License - British Columbia; version not stated on the page) · retrieved 2026-10-15
Fichier des prénoms — édition 2026 (naissances 1900 à 2025), fichier national
Insee (Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques) · LO-2.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
South Australia — Popular Baby Names, per-year lists including names given once, 1944-2017
Attorney-General's Department, South Australia (via data.sa.gov.au) · CC-BY-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Statistik Austria — Vornamen (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1): first names of live births, Austria, 1984-2025 (national counts from district rows)
Statistik Austria (Bundesanstalt Statistik Österreich) · CC-BY-4.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Baby names in England and Wales: 2025 (boys and girls workbooks, Table 6: all published names)
Office for National Statistics (ONS) · OGL-UK-3.0 · retrieved 2026-10-14
NISRA — First Forenames Given to Babies Registered in Northern Ireland, 1997-2025 (full list)
Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) · OGL-UK-3.0 · retrieved 2026-10-15
Wiktionary text: CC BY-SA 4.0. Wikidata: CC0. Commons recordings retain their individual file licences. Complete attribution is available in each group above and alongside each chart.