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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

“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

“I love my Chevy EUV Bolt, except in the wintertime,” writes John Shelly, who lives in upstate New York.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 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

Gale squawked, “Leave Shelly alone! He’s had it worse than any of us!”

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown