Shirley is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Shirley means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Shirley across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Shirley has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Shirley is a girl name of Old English origin meaning “bright clearing”. originally a surname and place name.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 695,934 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 258 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 695 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 3 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,787 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,673 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Shirley per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1935 (42,801/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1974 (140/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (135/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2001 (18/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2011 (3/yr).
Shirley has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1935, when it ranked #5 nationally (given to 42,801 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1930s.
Charlee · Shirlee · Charley · Sharla · Shirl · Shirlie · Shirly · Sherley
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