Unisex · #10,274 in 2026

Shirl

Shirl is a given name, often a short form (hypocorism) of Shirley. It may refer to:

Current Rank
#10,274
Peak Rank
#714 (1964)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #714 (1K total)
👦 Boy peak #1,439 (448 total)
👧As Girl Name
1934
First Year
1983
Last Year
1964
Peak Year
#714
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
43
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
1915
First Year
1966
Last Year
1938
Peak Year
#1439
Peak Rank
448
Total Count
45
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Shirl

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Shirl is a given name, often a short form (hypocorism) of Shirley. It may refer to:

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Shirl

As a girl name

Shirl first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1934, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1964, when 210 Shirls were born — ranking #714 that year. As of 2026, Shirl ranks #10,274 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 1K Shirls have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Shirl first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1915, with 11 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1938, when 22 Shirls were born — ranking #1,439 that year. As of 2026, Shirl ranks #3,946 for boys with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 448 Shirls have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Shirl

Phonetically similar names — useful when Shirl is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Shirl

What does the name Shirl mean?
Shirl is a given name, often a short form (hypocorism) of Shirley. It may refer to:
How popular is Shirl in 2026?
In 2026, Shirl ranks #10,274 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Shirl most popular?
Shirl reached its peak popularity in 1964, ranking #714 that year with 210 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Shirl most popular?
Shirl has historically been most popular in Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Shirl.
Is Shirl a unisex name?
Yes — Shirl is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 75% of Shirls assigned female and 25% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Shirl?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Shirl include Ines, Bettina, Meg. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Shirl

Shirl is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1934 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Shirl's peak popularity came in 1964 when it ranked #714. Use the chart and map above to compare Shirl's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.