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Shirley

“Shire meadow, clearing of the county” — Old English origin

Girl's name · #1581 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Shirley has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #2 (1935) · 686,383 babies named Shirley all-time · 1 in 13,000 girls born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 16,000 girls in Canada (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 12 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Shirleys

• Shirley MacLaine — American actress
• Shirley Temple — American actress and diplomat (1928–2014)
• Shirley Booth — American actress (1898–1992)
• Shirley Chisholm — first black woman elected to the United States Congress (1924-2005)
• Shirley Bassey — Welsh singer

In stories & tradition

• Shirley Bellinger — Oz
• Shirley Carter — EastEnders
• Shirley Armitage — Coronation Street

What Shirleys become

Among 790 notable people named Shirley:

Entertainers appear 1.48× more often than among typical names — e.g. Shirley MacLaine, American actress.

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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