Shelby

Shelby comes from an English surname that may be a form of Selby. Through that proposed connection it is associated with a settlement on a ledge or shelf of land. The surname history is more secure than treating the modern spelling as a combination of the words shell and by.

Writer Shelby Foote is a notable bearer, and the character Shelby in Steel Magnolias provides a familiar film association. Shelbi and Shelbie are close spelling alternatives. The name has an established history of use for boys and girls, while its two-syllable shape works without a longer formal version or a required nickname.