Shirley

#1,581 for girls in 2025, 133 births · Last seen for boys in 1993 at #6,816
Given to girls 98.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1935 · 42,366 births
Debut · girls
8 births
In top 100 · girls
46 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
686,383
since 1880

Shirley over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201957peak #2, 1935girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#1,581133—
2024#1,452151—
2023#1,534139—
2022#1,583134—
2021#1,885105—
2020#1,545137—
2019#1,483148—
2018#1,447152—
2017#1,274185—
2016#1,386168—
2015#1,311181—
2014#1,205202—
2013#1,338174—
2012#1,334176—
2011#1,266188—
2010#1,317178—
2009#1,091233—
2008#905304—
2007#937288—
2006#1,026249—
2005#885285—
2004#987240—
2003#788313—
2002#878259—
2001#778305—
2000#850259—
1999#914231—
1998#742293—
1997#660333—
1996#654339—
1995#634343—
1994#593380—
1993#579406#6,8167
1992#530449#8,4355
1991#521446—
1990#509472—
1989#512457—
1988#491462#6,4266
1987#473459#6,0896
1986#491435#6,7215
1985#441494#6,5235
1984#438477#6,3155
1983#428505#3,88410
1982#384601#5,0037
1981#390579—
1980#380603#4,4958
1979#346671#4,8427
1978#336647#3,8579
1977#307777—
1976#277834#3,09512
1975#278875#4,7976
1974#2541,010#2,94612
1973#2171,155#4,0547
1972#2091,334#2,65913
1971#1931,588#2,20318
1970#1981,629#2,05819
1969#1731,867#1,64225
1968#1502,142#2,31113
1967#1422,508#1,36431
1966#1232,919#1,25936
1965#1113,370#1,38631
1964#1033,967#1,51027
1963#994,387#1,51327
1962#964,869#1,29536
1961#855,638#1,30337
1960#706,411#1,15246
1959#617,284#1,21241
1958#528,088#1,04953
1957#468,855#96662
1956#419,429#1,01954
1955#379,755#1,05451
1954#3310,909#90866
1953#2912,148#86868
1952#2812,529#85067
1951#2713,919#79978
1950#1915,891#75882
1949#1817,281#75483
1948#2016,121#80271
1947#1917,648#611124
1946#1817,870#534145
1945#1416,150#500143
1944#1516,309#537128
1943#1217,816#462186
1942#1217,750#427205
1941#1016,954#446174
1940#917,881#389214
1939#520,447#368238
1938#523,766#340265
1937#426,823#293337
1936#235,161#277381
1935#242,366#259435
1934#422,841#318288
1933#914,320#372213
1932#914,476#357242
1931#914,405#362239
1930#1114,775#337273
1929#914,576#346263
1928#1014,215#370249
1927#913,314#377242
1926#1411,762#409214
1925#1710,513#402223
1924#199,489#407226
1923#267,918#391231
1922#396,407#398229
1921#445,695#404227
1920#564,713#427196
1919#893,149#418197
1918#972,654#440182
1917#1231,800#432172
1916#1601,245#447155
1915#1621,135#414171
1914#160906#402141
1913#169684#406113
1912#198489#48466
1911#198362#49735
1910#202318#58224
1909#203281#43633
1908#196284#54122
1907#207247#61617
1906#234187#46523
1905#256162#59216
1904#268138#43124
1903#309102#52717
1902#309104#44022
1901#30595#68310
1900#322110#39332
1899#34674#52114
1898#37270#54315
1897#37261#42220
1896#38355#64112
1895#43343#34728
1894#40747#39922
1893#37452#47915
1892#34658#52515
1891#42335#45615
1890#40040#41519
1889#37142#52513
1888#43932#52814
1887#49920#6319
1886#55616#43117
1885#54216#43917
1884#47918#57011
1883#45118#49713
1882#6349#57611
1881—#7067
1880#6288#60010
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Shirley was already there! It came in at #628, and was given to 8 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1881, when fewer than 5 girls a year got the name.

Where Shirley is popular in 1957

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #40 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 162 girlsAKMaine: #60 for girls · 44 births · 1 in 223 girlsMEVermont: #109 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 446 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #91 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 344 girlsNHWashington: #80 for girls · 90 births · 1 in 320 girlsWAIdaho: #52 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 212 girlsIDMontana: #83 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 314 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #57 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 230 girlsNDMinnesota: #87 for girls · 99 births · 1 in 388 girlsMNIllinois: #68 for girls · 366 births · 1 in 296 girlsILWisconsin: #85 for girls · 111 births · 1 in 396 girlsWIMichigan: #73 for girls · 330 births · 1 in 288 girlsMINew York: #113 for girls · 336 births · 1 in 504 girlsNYMassachusetts: #108 for girls · 100 births · 1 in 538 girlsMARhode Island: #79 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 328 girlsRIOregon: #90 for girls · 43 births · 1 in 371 girlsORNevada: #66 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 217 girlsNVWyoming: #97 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 318 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #49 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 208 girlsSDIowa: #90 for girls · 76 births · 1 in 376 girlsIAIndiana: #69 for girls · 189 births · 1 in 275 girlsINOhio: #64 for girls · 412 births · 1 in 270 girlsOHPennsylvania: #72 for girls · 386 births · 1 in 306 girlsPANew Jersey: #86 for girls · 159 births · 1 in 362 girlsNJConnecticut: #94 for girls · 60 births · 1 in 414 girlsCTCalifornia: #81 for girls · 466 births · 1 in 352 girlsCAUtah: #73 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 284 girlsUTColorado: #59 for girls · 72 births · 1 in 259 girlsCONebraska: #77 for girls · 44 births · 1 in 322 girlsNEMissouri: #51 for girls · 214 births · 1 in 211 girlsMOKentucky: #44 for girls · 205 births · 1 in 165 girlsKYWest Virginia: #51 for girls · 99 births · 1 in 200 girlsWVVirginia: #35 for girls · 261 births · 1 in 159 girlsVAMaryland: #39 for girls · 165 births · 1 in 184 girlsMDDelaware: #40 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 166 girlsDEArizona: #45 for girls · 66 births · 1 in 207 girlsAZNew Mexico: #50 for girls · 58 births · 1 in 198 girlsNMKansas: #61 for girls · 90 births · 1 in 242 girlsKSArkansas: #18 for girls · 218 births · 1 in 85 girlsARTennessee: #36 for girls · 287 births · 1 in 131 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #26 for girls · 421 births · 1 in 120 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #18 for girls · 343 births · 1 in 83 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #47 for girls · 68 births · 1 in 200 girlsDCOklahoma: #40 for girls · 129 births · 1 in 169 girlsOKLouisiana: #22 for girls · 304 births · 1 in 131 girlsLAMississippi: #7 for girls · 470 births · 1 in 55 girlsMSAlabama: #19 for girls · 363 births · 1 in 101 girlsALGeorgia: #19 for girls · 480 births · 1 in 96 girlsGAHawaii: #82 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 289 girlsHITexas: #44 for girls · 584 births · 1 in 198 girlsTXFlorida: #26 for girls · 358 births · 1 in 128 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Mississippi#7 · 1 in 55
  2. South Carolina#18 · 1 in 83
  3. Arkansas#18 · 1 in 85
  4. Georgia#19 · 1 in 96
  5. Alabama#19 · 1 in 101

Best ever in a state: #1 in Idaho, 1934.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#74701 in 55
Arkansas#182181 in 85
South Carolina#183431 in 83
Alabama#193631 in 101
Georgia#194801 in 96
Louisiana#223041 in 131
Florida#263581 in 128
North Carolina#264211 in 120
Virginia#352611 in 159
Tennessee#362871 in 131
Maryland#391651 in 184
Alaska#40171 in 162
Delaware#40291 in 166
Oklahoma#401291 in 169
Kentucky#442051 in 165
Texas#445841 in 198
Arizona#45661 in 207
District of Columbia#47681 in 200
South Dakota#49341 in 208
New Mexico#50581 in 198
Missouri#512141 in 211
West Virginia#51991 in 200
Idaho#52301 in 212
North Dakota#57291 in 230
Colorado#59721 in 259
Maine#60441 in 223
Kansas#61901 in 242
Ohio#644121 in 270
Nevada#66101 in 217
Illinois#683661 in 296
Indiana#691891 in 275
Pennsylvania#723861 in 306
Michigan#733301 in 288
Utah#73371 in 284
Nebraska#77441 in 322
Rhode Island#79261 in 328
Washington#80901 in 320
California#814661 in 352
Hawaii#82211 in 289
Montana#83231 in 314
Wisconsin#851111 in 396
New Jersey#861591 in 362
Minnesota#87991 in 388
Iowa#90761 in 376
Oregon#90431 in 371
New Hampshire#91161 in 344
Connecticut#94601 in 414
Wyoming#9791 in 318
Massachusetts#1081001 in 538
Vermont#10981 in 446
New York#1133361 in 504

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Shirley
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 129 spots since 2024 (#1,452 → #1,581)
  • 36 spots since 2020 (#1,545 → #1,581)
  • 270 spots since 2015 (#1,311 → #1,581)
  • Biggest jump: 183 spots in 1883 (#634 → #451)
  • Biggest drop: 199 spots in 2004 (#788 → #987)
Rise & fade · girls
55 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1935 at #2 (42,366 births)
  • Births halved by 1939, 4 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 10 for 14 yrs
  • Top 10: 14 yrs · run 1931–1941
  • Top 100: 46 yrs · run 1918–1963
  • Top 1,000: 127 yrs · run 1882–2005
Share of babies · girls
1 in 25
  • Highest: 1 in 25 girls born in 1935 were named Shirley (4.0%)
  • Latest: 1 in 12,085 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · girls
The 1930s
  • 33.4% of all girls named Shirley (229,380) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s179#371 (1889)#511
1890s535#346 (1899)#386
1900s1,710#196 (1908)#261
1910s12,742#89 (1919)#156
1920s98,602#9 (1929)#24
1930s229,380#2 (1935)#6
1940s171,780#9 (1940)#15
1950s108,807#19 (1950)#37
1960s38,078#70 (1960)#115
1970s10,520#193 (1971)#262
1980s5,072#380 (1980)#443
1990s3,692#509 (1990)#634
2000s2,735#778 (2001)#913
2010s1,752#1,205 (2014)#1,336
2020s799#1,452 (2024)#1,597

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Shirley in 1957

girls
#46
8,855 births · 1 in 231 girls
boys
#966
62 births · 1 in 34,794 boys

Top girls' names in 1957

  1. #1Mary61,102
  2. #2Susan45,954
  3. #3Linda44,517
  4. #4Debra42,728
  5. #5Karen40,591
  6. #6Deborah40,096
  7. #7Cynthia39,340
  8. #8Patricia39,283
  9. #9Barbara29,692
  10. #10Donna28,042
  11. #46Shirley8,855

Top boys' names in 1957

  1. #1Michael92,781
  2. #2James84,337
  3. #3David82,403
  4. #4Robert81,765
  5. #5John79,033
  6. #6William56,852
  7. #7Mark52,841
  8. #8Richard52,446
  9. #9Thomas44,625
  10. #10Steven36,842
  11. #966Shirley62
More about 1957

girls

2,044,851 girls got a published name in 1957; 1 in 231 of them was named Shirley, which outranked 99.3% of the 7,015 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 20.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Shirley
  1. #43Diana9,433
  2. #44Ann9,040
  3. #45Lori8,964
  4. #46Shirley8,855
  5. #47Connie8,765
  6. #48Beverly8,560
  7. #49Paula8,544
Biggest movers since 1956
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,944Tammi#3,696 → #752
  2. ↑ 1,310Tamela#2,151 → #841
  3. ↑ 1,298Tammie#1,662 → #364
  4. ↑ 993Tia#1,968 → #975
  5. ↑ 676Tamera#1,287 → #611
Fallers
  1. ↓ 423Corliss#878 → #1,301
  2. ↓ 399Glynis#977 → #1,376
  3. ↓ 367Merrie#977 → #1,344
  4. ↓ 303Taryn#935 → #1,238
  5. ↓ 291Glendora#963 → #1,254

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

2,157,236 boys got a published name in 1957; 1 in 34,794 of them was named Shirley, which outranked 78.8% of the 4,552 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 30.8% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Shirley
  1. #957Rubin63
  2. #957Stefan63
  3. #957Weston63
  4. #966Shirley62
  5. #966Bertram62
  6. #966Randle62
  7. #966Reese62
  8. #971Carleton61
  9. #971Columbus61
  10. #971Daryle61

Tied with 4 names at #966; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1956
Risers
  1. ↑ 714Dion#1,642 → #928
  2. ↑ 404Wes#1,317 → #913
  3. ↑ 371Antoine#1,232 → #861
  4. ↑ 340Domenick#1,335 → #995
  5. ↑ 329Mitch#868 → #539
Fallers
  1. ↓ 458Lannie#999 → #1,457
  2. ↓ 402Desi#986 → #1,388
  3. ↓ 354Gavin#924 → #1,278
  4. ↓ 317Murphy#917 → #1,234
  5. ↓ 288Eliot#897 → #1,185

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1957 →