US Popularity Rank: 19918

Origin: British

Meaning: Clearing on a bank

Got a thing for tales that haunt the imagination? Let the name Shelley be your guide to some of the greatest monikers of Gothic lit. Old English in origin, Shelley comes from a place name that means “clearing on a bank.” While it may seem more feminine at first, it’s actually a rather popular family name, making it a suitable choice for book-nerdy boys and girls. Hats off to Mary Shelley for sweeping science fiction off its feet with Frankenstein, but let’s not forget her partner, poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, who also shares her legacy of pure literary genius.