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 ("bright, clear") and lēah ("wood, clearing, meadow, enclosure"). The name makes reference to the open space where the moot (an early English assembly of freemen which met to administer justice and discuss community issues) was held. The surname Shirley became established as a female given name in 1849 due to its use in Charlotte Brontë 's novel Shirley California Gold Rush writer Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe (Dame Shirley) . It was eventually brought to its highest popularity, in the 1930s, by the fame of child star Shirley Temple .[ 1] [ 2]
Usage
Shirley was a well-used name throughout the Anglosphere during the 20th century. It was among the top 1,000 names used for newborn American girls between 1880 and 2008. It was among the top 100 names between 1918 and 1963 in the United States, and among the ten most popular names for American girls between 1927 and 1941. It reached peak popularity in 1935 and 1936, when it was the second most popular name given to newborn girls there. There were 133 newborn American girls who were given the name in 2022. The name was also among the top 1,000 names given to newborn American boys between 1880 and 1957, though the name was always given to more girls than boys. As a male name, Shirley reached the peak of popularity in 1935, when it was the 259th most popular name given to American boys.[ 3] [ 4]
Given name
Female
Shirley
Shirley (born 1946), Dutch singerShirley Abicair (born 1928), Australian singer, musician, actress and authorShirley Abrahamson (1933–2020), American judgeShirley Andrews (1915–2001), Australian biochemistShirley Annan (1940–2017), New Zealand netball playerShirley Ardener , Cameroonian researcherShirley Armstrong (1930–2018), Irish fencerShirley Ascott (1930–1995), British sprint canoerShirley Babashoff (born 1957), American swimmerShirley Baker (1932–2014), British photographerShirley Ballas (born 1960), English ballroom dancerShirley Banfield (born 1937), Australian cricket playerShirley Barber (1935–2023), English authorShirley Barker (1911–1965), American authorShirley Barlow , English classicistShirley Barrett (born 1961), Australian film directorShirley Barrie (1945–2018), Canadian playwrightShirley Bassey (born 1937), Welsh singerShirley Bear (born 1936), Tobique First Nation artistShirley Becke (1917–2011), British police officerShirley Berruz (born 1991), Ecuadorian footballerShirley Blumberg (born 1952), Canadian architectShirley Bond (born 1956), Canadian politicianShirley Bonne (born 1934), American actress and modelShirley Booth (1898–1992), American actressShirley Booz (1927–2009), American model and dancerShirley Borhauer (1926–2013), American politicianShirley Ayorkor Botchway (born 1963), Ghanaian politicianShirley Bottolfsen (1934–2021), Irish womanShirley Bousquet (born 1976), French actressShirley D. Bowler (born 1949), American writer, editor and politicianShirley Braha (born 1982), American television producerShirley Brasher (born 1934), English tennis playerShirley Breeden , American politicianShirley Brifman (1935–1972), Australian prostitute and brothel madamShirley Briggs (1918–2004), American artist, photographer, writer, and naturalistShirley Brill (born 1982), Israeli clarinetistShirley Brown (born 1947), American R&B singerShirley Brown (Australian author) (born 1934), Australian authorShirley Brown (Florida politician) , American politicianShirley Burgess (born c. 1934), British sprinterShirley Burkovich (1933–2022), American baseball playerShirley Burman (born 1934), American photographerShirley Caesar (born 1938), American gospel singerShirley Cain (born 1935), British actressShirley Aley Campbell (1925–2018), American painterShirley Carr (1929–2010), Canadian political leaderShirley Cawley (born 1932), British athleteShirley Cheechoo (born 1952), Canadian Cree actress, writer, producer, director, and visual artistShirley Chisholm (1924–2005), American politician, educator and author, first African-American woman elected to CongressShirley Clamp (born 1973), Swedish singerShirley Bell Cole (1920–2010), American actressShirley Collins (born 1935), English folk singerShirley Collins (politician) (born 1952), Canadian politicianShirley Curry (born 1936), American YouTuber and gamer.Shirley Douglas (1934–2020), Canadian actress and activistShirley Duguay (1962–1994), Canadian murder victimShirley Dynevor (1933–2023), Welsh actressShirley Eaton (born 1937), English actress, model and authorShirley Englehorn (1940–2022), American golferShirley Adele Field (1923–1995), American politician and judgeShirley Anne Field (1936–2023), English actressShirley Bunnie Foy (1936–2016), American singerShirley M. Frye , American mathematics educatorShirley Fulton (1954–2023), Ameeican judgeShirley Goodman (1936–2005), American R&B singer, half of the 1950s duo Shirley and LeeShirley Ann Grau (1929–2020), American writerShirley Brice Heath , American linguistic anthropologistShirley Hemphill (1947–1999), American stand-up comedian and actressShirley Henderson (born 1965), Scottish actressShirley A. Hokanson (born 1936), American politician and social workerShirley Huffman (1928–2018), American politicianShirley Ann Jackson (born 1946), American physicistShirley Jackson (1916–1965), American writerShirley Jefferson (born 1953), American law school administrator and professorShirley Johnson (1937–2021), American politicianShirley Brannock Jones (1925–2019), American judgeShirley Jones (born 1934), American singer and actressShirley Jülich (born 1949), New Zealand social work academicShirley Kallek (1926–1983), American statisticianShirley Knight (1936–2020), American actressShirley Kocaçınar (born 1986), Turkish-Dutch footballerShirley Kwan (born 1966), Hong Kong Cantopop singerShirley A. R. Lewis (born 1937), American educator, academic administrator, college presidentShirley Love (born 1940), American opera singerShirley McKague (1935–2020), American politicianShirley MacLaine (born 1934), American actressShirley Mallmann (born 1977), Brazilian modelShirley Manson (born 1966), Scottish singer, lead vocalist of the rock band Garbage Shirley Ardell Mason (1923–1998), American teacherShirley Muldowney (born 1940), American drag racer, first woman to receive a licence to drive a top fuel dragster by the NHRAShirley Murray (1931–2020), New Zealand hymn writerShirley Palmer (actress) (1908–2000), American film actressShirley Palmer (Kansas politician) (1943–2023), American politicianShirley Phelps-Roper (born 1957), American lawyer and political activistShirley Pitts (1934–1992), English fraudster and thief, the "Queen of shoplifters"Shirley B. Randleman (born 1950), American politicianShirley Rumierk , American actressShirley Ann Russell (1935–2002), British costume designerShirley Scheier (born 1953), American artistShirley Scott (1934–2002), American hard bop and soul-jazz organistShirley Setia (fl. 2013–present ), New Zealand singerShirley Sherrod , United States government employee who was unjustly fired in 2010Shirley Adelson Siegel (1918–2020), American lawyerShirley-Anne Somerville (born 1974), British politicianShirley Soosay (1945–1980), Canadian murder victimShirley Spork (1927–2022), American golferShirley Stelfox (1941–2015), English actressShirley Temple (1928–2014), American actress, singer, dancer, businesswoman and diplomatShirley Jane Turner (1961–2003), Canadian-American murdererShirley Carew Titus (1892–1967), American nurse educatorShirley Ulmer (1914–2000), American screenwriterShirley Walker (1945–2006), American film and television composerShirley A. Walters (born 1948), Republican-American business personShirley Williams (1930–2021), Baroness Williams of Crosby, English politician and academicShirley Yeung (born 1978), Hong Kong actressShirley Yu , Hong Kong actressShirley Zhou (born 1978), Chinese playerShirley Zussman (1914–2021), American sex therapist
Shirli
Shirlie
Shirlee
Male
Shirley Abbott (ambassador) (1923–2013), American businessman, diplomat, and politicianShirley Abbott (footballer) (1889–1947), English footballerShirley Clifford Atchley (1871–1936), British diplomat and botanistShirley Baker (architect) (1895–1942), American architectShirley Waldemar Baker (1836–1903), English missionary and Prime Minister of TongaShirley Brooks (1816–1874), English journalistShirley Brick (1898–1929), American football playerShirley Burden (1908–1989), American photographerShirley Burden Jr. (1941–1996), American politicianShirley Jackson Case (1872–1947), American historian and liberal theologianShirley Corea (1906–1974), Sri Lankan politicianShirley Clarke (cricketer) (born 1977), Barbarian cricketerShirley Clay (died 1951), American jazz trumpeterShirley Crabtree (1930–1997), English professional wrestlerShirley Davidson (1874–1907), Canadian ice hockey playerShirley Gill (born 1918), Barbarian cricketerShirley Gillilland (1856–1927), American politicianShirley Griffith (1907–1974), American male blues singer and guitaristShirley Griffiths (1930–2015), Barbarian cricketerShirley Guthrie (1927–2004), American Presbyterian minister and authorShirley Hibberd (1825–1890), English writerShirley Hubbard (1885–1962), English professional footballerShirley Jeffries (1886–1963), Australian rules footballer and politicianShirley "Shirl" Jennings (1940–2003), one of the few people to regain his sight after nearly lifelong blindnessShirley S. Kastor (1895–1936), American politicianShirley Love (politician) (1933–2020), American politician and broadcaster journalistShirley Majors (1913–1981), American football and baseball coachShirley Hall Nichols (1884–1964), American bishopShirley Palmer (physician) (1786–1852), English physician and medical writerShirley W. Palmer-Ball (1930–2012), American politicianShirley Perera , Sri Lankan announcerShirley Petway (1908–1984), American baseball player and catcherShirley Povich (1905–1998), American sports columnist and reporterShirley Leon Quimby (1893–1986), American physicistShirley Reynolds (1873–1946), English rugby union playerShirley Simons (1897–1963), American architectShirley Strachan (1952–2001), American singer, songwriter, radio and television presenter, and carpenterShirley Waijayantha (born 1956), Sri Lankan musician and music illustratorShirley Wilson (1925–2021), American football coachShirley W. Wynne (1882–1942), Former New York City Health Commissioner
Surname
Shirley Word/name Anglo-Saxon Meaning habitational name for one who lived in one of the parishes called Shirley in the counties of Derbyshire , Surrey, Hampshire and the West Midlands . Region of origin England
Shirley is a surname, with pockets of Shirleys living in New Hampshire , Massachusetts , Idaho , Kentucky , Mississippi , Utah , North Carolina , Tennessee , Virginia , Canada, New Zealand, Alaska , and parts of Great Britain.[citation needed A work on the genealogy of the various branches of the Shirley family was published as Stemmata Shirleiana by E. P. Shirley in 1841.[citation needed Their name comes from having lived in the parish of Shirley found in the counties of Derbyshire , Surrey, Hampshire and the West Midlands .
Anne Shirley (actress) (1918–1993), American actress born Dawn Evelyeen ParisJohn Shirley (born 1953), American author of science-fiction, horror, thrillers, westerns, scripts, non-fiction, and lyrics.Bob Shirley (born 1954), American baseball playerCraig Shirley (born 1956), American author, lecturer, historian and public affairs consultantDavid A. Shirley (1934–2021), American chemistDon Shirley (1927–2013), American-Jamaican jazz pianist and composerEdwin Shirley (1948–2013), English Rock and Roll tour organiserJames Shirley (1596–1666), English dramatistJerry Shirley (born 1952), English rock drummerKellie Shirley (born 1981), English actressKevin Shirley (born 1960), South African music producerPaul Shirley (born 1977), American basketball player and writerSewallis Shirley (MP) (1844–1904), British politician and founder of The Kennel Club Simon Shirley (born 1966), Australian decathleteSteve Shirley (born Vera Stephanie Shirley in 1933), British information technology pioneer, businesswoman and philanthropistWilliam Shirley (1694–1771), British colonial governor of Massachusetts
Fictional characters
Anne Shirley, the title character in Anne of Green Gables Lucy Maude Montgomery , as well as numerous adaptations
Miss Shirley Brahms , a fictional character in the British sitcom Are You Being Served? Shirley Carter , a fictional character in the British soap opera EastEnders Shirley Duck, the mother of Flick Duck in "PB&J Otter "
Shirley the Loon, in Tiny Toon Adventures
Shirley Fenette , a character in the anime Code Geass Shirley, a.k.a. Charlotte E. Yeager , a character from the mixed-media franchise Strike Witches
Shirley, a fictional character in The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour 3
Shirley, a hairdresser in the videogame MySims
Shirley Fennes, a character in the videogame Tales of Legendia
Shirley Feeney, titular character in Laverne & Shirley
Shirley Ghostman, Marc Wootton 's character in High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman
Shirley Keeldar, titular character in the Charlotte Brontë novel Shirley
Shirley Partridge, the main character in The Partridge Family
Shirley Sheridan, a character in the 1934 American romantic musical movie The Cat and the Fiddle
Shirley, one of the main characters of Shaun the Sheep
Shirley, an elderly female bird in The Angry Birds Movie
The title character of the Shirley Valentine
See also
References
^ Leek, Nancy (July 29, 2019). "How Louise Clappe Became Shirley" . Goldfields Books . Denison University. Retrieved December 16, 2022 . ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names . Oxford University Press. p. 246-47. ISBN 0-19-861060-2
^ "Popularity of Names" . ssa.gov . United States Social Security Administration. Retrieved 29 October 2023 .
^ Campbell, Mike. "Shirley" . behindthename.com . Behind the Name. Retrieved 29 October 2023 .
