Shirley
Girl name · #1582 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Shirley? In official American birth records, Shirley has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Shirley is currently the #1582 girl name in the United States — 133 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1311, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 13,534 girls born in 2025 was named Shirley.
The 145-year story
Shirley first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 8 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1935, when 42,366 girls were named Shirley — good for #2 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Shirley per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Shirley against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Shirley in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Shirley is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Shirley will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Shirley is most common
State-level data for Shirley is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Shirley
Statistically, parents drawn to Shirley tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Sally, Betty, Sandra, Sharon, and Arlene.
SallyBettySandraSharonArleneRosemarieMaryannBeverly
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Shirley | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 133 | #1581 |
| 2024 | 151 | #1452 |
| 2023 | 139 | #1534 |
| 2022 | 134 | #1583 |
| 2021 | 105 | #1885 |
| 2020 | 137 | #1545 |
| 2019 | 148 | #1483 |
| 2018 | 152 | #1447 |
| 2017 | 185 | #1274 |
| 2016 | 168 | #1386 |
| 2015 | 181 | #1311 |
| 2014 | 202 | #1205 |
| 2013 | 174 | #1338 |
| 2012 | 176 | #1334 |
| 2011 | 188 | #1266 |
| 2010 | 178 | #1317 |
| 2009 | 233 | #1091 |
| 2008 | 304 | #905 |
| 2007 | 288 | #937 |
| 2006 | 249 | #1026 |
| 2005 | 285 | #885 |
| 2004 | 240 | #987 |
| 2003 | 313 | #788 |
| 2002 | 259 | #878 |
| 2001 | 305 | #778 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Shirley?
In official American birth records, the name Shirley first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 8 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Shirley a popular girl name?
Shirley ranked #1582 among girls in 2025 with 133 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1311.
When was the name Shirley most popular?
Shirley peaked in 1935, when 42,366 American girls received the name (ranked #2 that year). Since 1935 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Shirley?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 13,534 newborn American girls was named Shirley. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.