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• shelly
  shelly

  adjective

  abounding in shells.
• Shelly
  Shelly

  noun

  a male or female given name.

shelly

¹ American  

[shel-ee] / ˈʃɛl i /

adjective

shellier, shelliest

1. abounding in shells.

   a shelly surf.

2. consisting of a shell or shells.

3. like a shell or shells.

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Shelly ² American  

[shel-ee] / ˈʃɛl i /

noun

1. a male or female given name.

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Etymology

Origin of shelly

First recorded in 1545–55; shell + -y ¹

Example Sentences

The “Chicken Fried” singer and Shelly Brown, the mother of his children, were married for 12 years before filing for divorce in October 2018.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Four giant tortoises—George, Shelly, Fortuitous and Pequeña—roam the property.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

“Softer spending volumes and signs of further weakness in March suggest consumers can only hold on for so long,” Shelly Kaushik, senior economist at Bank of Montreal Capital Markets, said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

Iraq's powerful Kataeb Hezbollah armed group announced that it would release US journalist Shelly Kittleson, a week after she was kidnapped in Baghdad.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

“Yeah, sorry about that,” said Shelly as the other otters sniffed the robot’s legs.

From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown