Sheldon
How to say it: SHEL-dun · /ˈʃɛldən/
From an English place name and surname meaning 'steep valley' or 'shelf valley' (Old English scelf + dun).
Sheldon was the 2,167th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 46 babies (Social Security Administration). Its busiest decade was the 1930s, its births are down about 65% in ten years, and it is projected to slip to #3,218 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #2,167 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 46 |
| Share of births | 1 in 72,072 |
| Peak decade | 1930s |
| Change over 10 years | −65% |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #3,218 |
| In France, 2025 | #1,330 among boys’ names, 15 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Sheldon peaked in the 1930s and is less common today.
What goes with it
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Sheldon is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French.
In France: #1,330 for boys in 2025.
Famous people named Sheldon
- Sheldon Glashow (born 1932)American theoretical physicist
- Sheldon Whitehouse (born 1955)American lawyer and politician
- Sheldon Riley (born 1999)Australian singer
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
Good to know
- Physicist Sheldon Cooper of Big Bang Theory/Young Sheldon
Keep exploring
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