Sheldon Name: Complete Etymology, Meaning & Popularity Analysis

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Summary

Sheldon is an Old English name that means 'sheltered town'. It evolved from Scieldun to its current form and has maintained a consistent presence in English-speaking cultures. The name is associated with traits of intelligence and quirkiness, and it has no significant biblical relevance. Its popularity surged in the 20th century, particularly due to its representation in media.

The name Sheldon is most popular in Hawaii, USA across all generations. It ranks highest as a Boy name among the Silent Generation generation in the Northeast region. Recent 3-year trends show this Boy name is maintaining steady popularity, while the 25-year trend indicates it has been relatively stable. Recent 3-year trends show this Girl name is maintaining steady popularity, while the 25-year trend indicates it has been relatively stable. From 2020-2022, Sheldon has been stalled for male in MidWest, falling for male in Northeast, stalled for male in South, stalled for male in West. The long-term 25-year analysis reveals it has been stalled for male in MidWest, stalled for male in Northeast, stalled for male in South, stalled for male in West. Across generations, 'Sheldon' has shown interesting popularity patterns: Among the G.I. Generation (1901-1927), it ranked 406th out of 7545 names. Among the Silent Generation (1928-1945), it ranked 280th out of 6773 names. Among the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), it ranked 372nd out of 7552 names. Among the Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980), it ranked 416th out of 10718 names. Among the Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996), it ranked 465th out of 16616 names. Among the Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012), it ranked 741st out of 24088 names. Among the Generation Alpha (2013-2024), it ranked 1535th out of 23106 names. Among the Silent Generation (1928-1945), it ranked 6257th out of 9204 names. Among the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), it ranked 5919th out of 12526 names. Among the Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980), it ranked 6210th out of 19264 names. Among the Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996), it ranked 6152nd out of 27321 names. Among the Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012), it ranked 16381st out of 35406 names. Discover how the name 'Sheldon' has evolved through American history with our comprehensive regional and generational analysis.

Etymology & Cultural Background of "Sheldon"

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Pronunciation

/ˈʃɛldən/

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Origin

Old English

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Etymology

The name Sheldon is derived from the Old English elements 'scield' meaning 'shelter' or 'protection' and 'tun' meaning 'town' or 'enclosure'.

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Meaning

Sheltered town

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Language Evolution

Scieldun, Sheldun, Sheldon

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Historical Usage

The name gained popularity in England during the Middle Ages and has been used steadily since then, particularly among English-speaking populations.

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Variants & Derivatives

Shel, Shelly, Shay

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Modern Popularity & Image

Sheldon is perceived as a quirky and intellectual name, partly due to its association with popular culture, particularly through the character Sheldon Cooper from the television series 'The Big Bang Theory'.

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Famous People

Sheldon Cooper (fictional character), Sheldon Adelson (American businessman), Sheldon Silver (American politician)

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Historical Birth Statistics for the Name "Sheldon"

Note: Years with identical rankings may represent different numbers of births. Data is sourced from Social Security card applications for births in the United States.

Yearly Ranking History of "Sheldon"

"Sheldon" Popularity Across American Generations

Generation Gender Rank Total Names
G.I. Generation (1901-1927) Boy 406th of 7545 3,404
Silent Generation (1928-1945) Boy 280th of 6773 7,556
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Boy 372nd of 7552 7,450
Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) Boy 416th of 10718 5,866
Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) Boy 465th of 16616 6,638
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) Boy 741st of 24088 4,278
Generation Alpha (2013-2024) Boy 1535th of 23106 1,344
Silent Generation (1928-1945) Girl 6257th of 9204 27
Baby Boomers (1946-1964) Girl 5919th of 12526 78
Generation X (Gen X) (1965-1980) Girl 6210th of 19264 121
Millennials (Gen Y) (1981-1996) Girl 6152nd of 27321 206
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers) (1997-2012) Girl 16381st of 35406 64

Regional Popularity of "Sheldon" by Generation for Male Names

TOP(%) MidWest Northeast South West
G.I. Generation
(1901-1927)
22.03%
312th/1416
16.75%
231st/1379
72.10%
1706th/2366
35.55%
406th/1142
Silent Generation
(1928-1945)
15.07%
233rd/1546
8.55%
133rd/1556
35.27%
830th/2353
21.72%
336th/1547
Baby Boomers
(1946-1964)
14.77%
329th/2227
10.70%
260th/2430
18.82%
537th/2853
13.62%
378th/2775
Generation X (Gen X)
(1965-1980)
14.23%
418th/2937
11.08%
386th/3483
12.28%
432nd/3518
10.11%
409th/4044
Millennials (Gen Y)
(1981-1996)
12.08%
445th/3685
9.54%
427th/4475
9.07%
471st/5194
7.00%
442nd/6317
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers)
(1997-2012)
15.08%
691st/4582
14.27%
737th/5164
10.83%
792nd/7313
10.93%
816th/7463
Generation Alpha
(2013-2024)
42.87%
1708th/3984
25.41%
1140th/4487
25.89%
1766th/6822
21.73%
1364th/6276

Regional Popularity of "Sheldon" by Generation for Female Names

TOP(%) MidWest Northeast South West
G.I. Generation
(1901-1927)
- - - -
Silent Generation
(1928-1945)
- - - -
Baby Boomers
(1946-1964)
- - - -
Generation X (Gen X)
(1965-1980)
- - - -
Millennials (Gen Y)
(1981-1996)
- - - -
Generation Z (Gen Z or Zoomers)
(1997-2012)
- - - -
Generation Alpha
(2013-2024)
- - - -

State-by-State Popularity of "Sheldon"

This map shows the relative popularity of "Sheldon" across states, calculated by dividing the number of births with this name in each state by the total births in that state. This methodology provides a standardized measure of popularity regardless of state population size.