Shirley

Did you know?

A few things about Shirley you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Shirley

Shirley MacLaine

American actress

Choose Shirley and your child shares a first name with Shirley MacLaine, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Shirley, like who?” Shirley MacLaine's Wikipedia article is available in 96 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Shirley MacLaine on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: movie studio, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 12,092 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Shirley, 133 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Shirley would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryShirley has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Shirleys, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1936, when it ranked #2. Today it's #1,581, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendShirley has slipped 36 places over the last five years and now sits at #1,581. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedShirley is most popular in Minnesota, where it ranks #835, followed by Illinois (#927). It's in the top 1,000 in 2 states.
• 💬MeaningIn English, Shirley means “county meadow”. Our records link it to English and Old English roots.

About the name Shirley

Shirley is a girl name of English and Old English origin meaning “county meadow”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with S and ending in “-ley”. US birth records list Shirley for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 145 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1936, when it ranked #2 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,581, with 133 babies.

Origin:English namesOld English names