Shirley
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Shirley
Shirley Temple almost single-handedly lifted the gloom of the Great Depression, and in tribute (and perhaps wishing for a similarly curly-headed, dimpled darling of their own), thousands of parents of that generation gave their little girls her name. In 1935, Shirley was the second most popular girls' name in the country with more than 42,000 babies named Shirley.
Shirley for girls#1586 US
In an earlier time Shirley was used primarily for boys, but the tide turned with the publication of Charlotte Bronte's novel Shirley in 1849, the story of a character whose parents had selected the name for a boy child, then decided to use it anyway when he turned out to be a she.
In addition to Shirley Temple, there have been Shirleys MacLaine and Jones and writer Shirley Jackson, as well as rocker Shirley Manson.
Shirley for boys
In an earlier time Shirley was used primarily for boys, but the tide turned with the publication of Charlotte Bronte's novel Shirley in 1849, the story of a character whose parents had selected the name for a boy child, then decided to use it anyway when he turned out to be a she.
Shirley peaked for boys at #259 in 1935, the same year it reached its peak of #2 for girls in the US. A famous fictional male namesake is Shirley Blythe, son of Anne and Gilbert Blythe in L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables books. Shirley was Anne's maiden name.
Pronounced SHUR-lee.
As of October 2026, Shirley ranked #1586 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #2 in 1935, Nameberry popularity #587.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,213 | 202 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #1,313 | 181 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #1,393 | 168 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #1,278 | 185 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #1,450 | 152 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #1,486 | 148 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #1,549 | 137 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #1,892 | 105 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #1,588 | 134 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #1,539 | 139 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #1,453 | 151 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #1,586 | 133 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Shirley for girls
Similar names
These 40 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Shirley.
Similar girl names
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Shirley on lists
Famous Shirleys
- Shirley Temple BlackGirl
American actress and diplomat
- Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty)Girl
American actress
- Shirley Hardie JacksonGirl
American author
- Shirley Ann MansonGirl
Scottish lead singer of band Garbage
- Shirley HendersonGirl
Scottish actress
- Shirley Mae JonesGirl
American actress
- Shirley Veronica BasseyGirl
Welsh singer
- Shirley Anita St. Hill ChisholmGirl
first black U.S. Congresswoman (New York)
- Shirley Elizabeth CollinsGirl
English folk singer
- Shirley ClarkeGirl
American film director
- Shirley Lynn PhelpsGirl
Roper, American lawyer and activist
- Shirley Booth (born Marjory Ford)Girl
American actress
- Shirley Frances BabashoffGirl
American swimmer
- Shirley Natasja ClampGirl
Swedish pop singer
- Shirley Kwan (Shuyi)Girl
Hong Kong singer
- Shirley KnightGirl
American actress
- Shirley Hubertina Maria Adriana KocaçınarGirl
Turkish footballer
- Shirley Vivian Teresa Brittain WilliamsGirl
Baroness Williams of Crosby, British politician
- Shirley ZwerusGirl
Dutch singer and pianist
- Shirley ChungGirl
Chinese,American chef
- Shirley Yeung (SzeGirl
ki), Hong Kong actress
- Shirley DouglasGirl
Canadian actress, mother of actor Kiefer Sutherland
Shirley in pop culture
- Shirley FeeneyGirl
character on TV's "Laverne & Shirley"
- Shirley KeeldarGirl
main character in "Shirley," by Charlotte Bronte
- Shirley BennettGirl
character on TV's "Community"
- Shirley RyanGirl
character on TV's "Love Child"
- Shirley PartridgeGirl
main character on TV's "The Partridge Family," played by Shirley Jones
- Shirley MillerGirl
main character on TV's "Shirley," played by Shirley Jones
- Shirley BrahmsGirl
character in British TV series Are You Being Served?
- Shirley the LoonGirl
character in Tiny Toon Adventures
- Shirley FenetteGirl
a character in the anime Code Geass
- Shirley YeagerGirl
character in anime Strike Witches
- ShirleyGirl
character in The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour 3
- ShirleyGirl
a hairdresser in the videogame MySims
- Shirley FennesGirl
a character in the videogame Tales of Legendia
- ShirleyGirl
a main character in animated TV series "Shaun the Sheep"
- Shirley TaylorsonGirl
character in video game Acidic
- Shirley YangGirl
character in "Ghost Blows Out the Light" by Zhang Muye
- Anne ShirleyGirl
main character in the "Anne of Green Gables" series, who had a son named Shirley Blythe
- Hotel ShirleyGirl
Sierra Madre, California, built in 1911, restored in 1998
- Shirley CrainGirl
character in "The Haunting of Hill House"