Shirley
Shirley is a given name and a surname originating from the English place-name Shirley, which is derived from the Old English elements scire ("shire") or scīr and lēah. The name makes reference to the open space where the moot was held.
Meaning & Origin of Shirley
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Shirley is a given name and a surname originating from the English place-name Shirley, which is derived from the Old English elements scire ("shire") or scīr and lēah. The name makes reference to the open space where the moot was held.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Shirley
Shirley first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1935, when 42,365 Shirleys were born — ranking #2 that year. As of 2026, Shirley ranks #1,442 for baby girls with 153 births, holding steady (0%). In total, more than 687K Shirleys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Shirley
Phonetically similar names — useful when Shirley 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 Shirley
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About the name Shirley
Shirley is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 687K births in the dataset. Shirley's peak popularity came in 1935 when it ranked #2. Use the chart and map above to compare Shirley's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1935 →
- Names of the 1930s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.