See the results of this poll: Shelby: Boys’ name or Girls’ name?
Respondents: 19 (This poll is closed)
- Boys’ Name : 4 (21%)
- Girls’ Name: 15 (79%)
I definitely hear it almost exclusively on girls, but as with virtually all unisex names for me personally, I strongly prefer it on boys. That’s just my taste though, I don’t like unisex names on girls at all. But I would definitely say way more people consider it a girl’s name. It ranks #372 for girls and isn’t in the top 1000 for boys. I think if you named your son [name_u]Shelby[/name_u] you’d run into a lot of people who don’t even realize it is a unisex name at all. I think it would be super handsome on a boy though 
(it’s not BAD on a girl either, just not my style).
I’ve only ever heard it on girl dogs, so I gotta give it to the girls this time.
I accidentally clicked “boys’ name” on the poll, but I meant girl. After [name_u]Steel[/name_u] Magnolias, it’s all Southern [name_f]Belle[/name_f] to me.
I marked girls’ name because, since I only know female [name_u]Shelby[/name_u]'s, I associate it with females. That said, I’d [name_u]LOVE[/name_u] to meet a male [name_u]Shelby[/name_u]! I read a book that featured a male [name_u]Shelby[/name_u], though it was his surname, and it wouldn’t seem that big of a stretch to me.
I know 3 Shelbys, all girls. It is pretty exclusively a girls name where I live. I think a male [name_u]Shelby[/name_u] would be nice to see though.