Shirley Girl

Popularity: #815 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: SHUR-lee //ˈʃɜːrli//

Origin: English; Old French

Meaning: English: bright meadow; Old French: from the bright meadow

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Shirley has its origins in Old English, derived from the elements "scir," meaning "bright" or "clear," and "leah," meaning "wood" or "clearing." Thus, the literal meaning of Shirley can be interpreted as "bright wood" or "clear meadow." The name first appeared as a surname in England, with records dating back to the 13th century, particularly in the region of Shropshire. It transitioned into a given name in the 19th century, becoming more widely recognized as a feminine name during this period.

Historically, the name Shirley gained prominence through notable figures such as Shirley of the 17th century, a character in the play "The Lady of Pleasure" by John Fletcher. Additionally, the name was popularized by the publication of the novel "Shirley" by Charlotte Brontë in 1849, which featured a strong female protagonist, thus contributing to its adoption as a first name.

The name also appears in various literary works and has been associated with several historical figures, including the English poet and playwright Sir Philip Sidney, whose family name was linked to the Shirley estate. Culturally, Shirley has been associated with notions of brightness and clarity, reflecting the meaning of its roots.

The name has also been embraced in various artistic expressions, including music and film, where it has been used to symbolize innocence and charm. A diminutive form of Shirley, "Shirl," has also emerged, although it is less commonly used in historical contexts.

Overall, the name Shirley carries a rich linguistic and cultural heritage that has contributed to its enduring presence in English-speaking societies.

Famous people named Shirley

In this section, you will find notable people named Shirley. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Shirley who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Shirley who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Shirley Temple is an actress and singer best known for Bright Eyes, Curly Top, and Heidi.

Shirley MacLaine is an actress and author best known for Terms of Endearment, The Apartment, and Steel Magnolias.

Shirley Bassey is a singer best known for Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, and Hey, Big Spender.

Shirley Jones is an actress and singer best known for Oklahoma!, The Music Man, and The Partridge Family.

Shirley Chisholm is an author and educator best known for being the first Black woman elected to the U.S. Congress and for her presidential campaign in 1972.

Shirley Hazzard is an author best known for The Transit of Venus, The Great Fire, and her essays.

Fictional characters named Shirley

The following list of fictional characters named Shirley is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Shirley Bennett is a fictional character from the TV show Community. She is a motherly figure and a member of the study group at Greendale Community College.

Shirley Temple is a fictional character from the film series featuring the child actress Shirley Temple. She is known for her iconic performances and charm as a young star in classic Hollywood films.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Shirley, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

CharlotteSamanthaEmilyMadelineVictoriaIsabelle

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Shirley. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

SharonShelleyShirleenShaniaShaylaShilohShaniahShyla

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Shirley was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Shirley has ranked as high as #5 nationally, which occurred in 1935, and has been most popular in Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, Ohio, and Michigan.

In the past 5 years the name Shirley has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Shirley is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Shirley was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Shirley.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 133 0 133
2024 151 0 151
2023 139 0 139
2022 134 0 134
2021 105 0 105
2020 137 0 137
2019 148 0 148
2018 152 0 152
2017 185 0 185
2016 168 0 168
2015 181 0 181
2014 202 0 202
2013 174 0 174
2012 176 0 176
2011 188 0 188
2010 178 0 178
2009 233 0 233
2008 304 0 304
2007 288 0 288
2006 249 0 249
2005 285 0 285
2004 240 0 240
2003 313 0 313
2002 259 0 259
2001 305 0 305
2000 259 0 259
1999 231 0 231
1998 293 0 293
1997 333 0 333
1996 339 0 339
1995 343 0 343
1994 380 0 380
1993 413 7 406
1992 454 5 449
1991 446 0 446
1990 472 0 472
1989 457 0 457
1988 468 6 462
1987 465 6 459
1986 440 5 435
1985 499 5 494
1984 482 5 477
1983 515 10 505
1982 608 7 601
1981 579 0 579
1980 611 8 603
1979 678 7 671
1978 656 9 647
1977 777 0 777
1976 846 12 834
1975 881 6 875
1974 1,022 12 1,010
1973 1,162 7 1,155
1972 1,347 13 1,334
1971 1,606 18 1,588
1970 1,648 19 1,629
1969 1,892 25 1,867
1968 2,155 13 2,142
1967 2,539 31 2,508
1966 2,955 36 2,919
1965 3,401 31 3,370
1964 3,994 27 3,967
1963 4,414 27 4,387
1962 4,905 36 4,869
1961 5,675 37 5,638
1960 6,457 46 6,411
1959 7,325 41 7,284
1958 8,141 53 8,088
1957 8,917 62 8,855
1956 9,483 54 9,429
1955 9,806 51 9,755
1954 10,975 66 10,909
1953 12,216 68 12,148
1952 12,596 67 12,529
1951 13,997 78 13,919
1950 15,973 82 15,891
1949 17,364 83 17,281
1948 16,192 71 16,121
1947 17,772 124 17,648
1946 18,015 145 17,870
1945 16,293 143 16,150
1944 16,437 128 16,309
1943 18,002 186 17,816
1942 17,955 205 17,750
1941 17,128 174 16,954
1940 18,095 214 17,881
1939 20,685 238 20,447
1938 24,031 265 23,766
1937 27,160 337 26,823
1936 35,542 381 35,161
1935 42,801 435 42,366
1934 23,129 288 22,841
1933 14,533 213 14,320
1932 14,718 242 14,476
1931 14,644 239 14,405
1930 15,048 273 14,775
1929 14,839 263 14,576
1928 14,464 249 14,215
1927 13,556 242 13,314
1926 11,976 214 11,762
1925 10,736 223 10,513
1924 9,715 226 9,489
1923 8,149 231 7,918
1922 6,636 229 6,407
1921 5,922 227 5,695
1920 4,909 196 4,713
1919 3,346 197 3,149
1918 2,836 182 2,654
1917 1,972 172 1,800
1916 1,400 155 1,245
1915 1,306 171 1,135
1914 1,047 141 906
1913 797 113 684
1912 555 66 489
1911 397 35 362
1910 342 24 318
1909 314 33 281
1908 306 22 284
1907 264 17 247
1906 210 23 187
1905 178 16 162
1904 162 24 138
1903 119 17 102
1902 126 22 104
1901 105 10 95
1900 142 32 110
1899 88 14 74
1898 85 15 70
1897 81 20 61
1896 67 12 55
1895 71 28 43
1894 69 22 47
1893 67 15 52
1892 73 15 58
1891 50 15 35
1890 59 19 40
1889 55 13 42
1888 46 14 32
1887 29 9 20
1886 33 17 16
1885 33 17 16
1884 29 11 18
1883 31 13 18
1882 20 11 9
1881 7 7 0
1880 18 10 8

Top States for Shirley (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 20
22%
NY 13
14%
FL 10
11%
TX 9
10%
OH 6
7%
PA 6
7%
WA 6
7%
NJ 5
6%
GA 5
6%
MA 5
6%
NC 5
6%