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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201967peak #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 1967

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #135 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 422 girlsAKMaine: #134 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 611 girlsMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Shirley, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #128 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 587 girlsNHWashington: #217 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,079 girlsWAIdaho: #140 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 533 girlsIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Shirley, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: #191 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 863 girlsNDMinnesota: #199 for girls · 24 births · 1 in 1,173 girlsMNIllinois: #149 for girls · 118 births · 1 in 724 girlsILWisconsin: #147 for girls · 42 births · 1 in 794 girlsWIMichigan: #175 for girls · 78 births · 1 in 913 girlsMINew York: #185 for girls · 152 births · 1 in 918 girlsNYMassachusetts: #155 for girls · 49 births · 1 in 889 girlsMARhode Island: #127 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 609 girlsRIOregon: #177 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 799 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Shirley, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Shirley, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #155 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 616 girlsSDIowa: #290 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 1,877 girlsIAIndiana: #159 for girls · 52 births · 1 in 783 girlsINOhio: #162 for girls · 101 births · 1 in 819 girlsOHPennsylvania: #149 for girls · 115 births · 1 in 743 girlsPANew Jersey: #176 for girls · 56 births · 1 in 886 girlsNJConnecticut: #152 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 719 girlsCTCalifornia: #167 for girls · 184 births · 1 in 831 girlsCAUtah: #125 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 471 girlsUTColorado: #188 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 847 girlsCONebraska: #208 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 1,105 girlsNEMissouri: #159 for girls · 44 births · 1 in 762 girlsMOKentucky: #106 for girls · 55 births · 1 in 447 girlsKYWest Virginia: #114 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 474 girlsWVVirginia: #105 for girls · 77 births · 1 in 435 girlsVAMaryland: #138 for girls · 40 births · 1 in 645 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Shirley, so not publishedDEArizona: #198 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 796 girlsAZNew Mexico: #112 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 404 girlsNMKansas: #174 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 796 girlsKSArkansas: #68 for girls · 51 births · 1 in 264 girlsARTennessee: #95 for girls · 69 births · 1 in 434 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #86 for girls · 105 births · 1 in 375 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #54 for girls · 87 births · 1 in 236 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #209 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 963 girlsDCOklahoma: #223 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 974 girlsOKLouisiana: #115 for girls · 64 births · 1 in 488 girlsLAMississippi: #26 for girls · 147 births · 1 in 127 girlsMSAlabama: #63 for girls · 99 births · 1 in 270 girlsALGeorgia: #64 for girls · 142 births · 1 in 260 girlsGAHawaii: #123 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 396 girlsHITexas: #143 for girls · 147 births · 1 in 625 girlsTXFlorida: #103 for girls · 95 births · 1 in 436 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Mississippi#26 · 1 in 127
  2. South Carolina#54 · 1 in 236
  3. Alabama#63 · 1 in 270
  4. Georgia#64 · 1 in 260
  5. Arkansas#68 · 1 in 264

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Mississippi#261471 in 127
South Carolina#54871 in 236
Alabama#63991 in 270
Georgia#641421 in 260
Arkansas#68511 in 264
North Carolina#861051 in 375
Tennessee#95691 in 434
Florida#103951 in 436
Virginia#105771 in 435
Kentucky#106551 in 447
New Mexico#112201 in 404
West Virginia#114261 in 474
Louisiana#115641 in 488
Hawaii#123121 in 396
Utah#125191 in 471
Rhode Island#127111 in 609
New Hampshire#12881 in 587
Maine#134121 in 611
Alaska#13551 in 422
Maryland#138401 in 645
Idaho#14081 in 533
Texas#1431471 in 625
Wisconsin#147421 in 794
Illinois#1491181 in 724
Pennsylvania#1491151 in 743
Connecticut#152291 in 719
Massachusetts#155491 in 889
South Dakota#15571 in 616
Indiana#159521 in 783
Missouri#159441 in 762
Ohio#1621011 in 819
California#1671841 in 831
Kansas#174171 in 796
Michigan#175781 in 913
New Jersey#176561 in 886
Oregon#177161 in 799
New York#1851521 in 918
Colorado#188181 in 847
North Dakota#19151 in 863
Arizona#198161 in 796
Minnesota#199241 in 1,173
Nebraska#20891 in 1,105
District of Columbia#209111 in 963
Washington#217211 in 1,079
Oklahoma#223161 in 974
Iowa#290111 in 1,877
Delaware———
Montana———
Nevada———
Vermont———
Wyoming———

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 1967

girls
#142
2,508 births · 1 in 658 girls
boys
#1,364
31 births · 1 in 56,252 boys

Top girls' names in 1967

  1. #1Lisa52,437
  2. #2Kimberly33,097
  3. #3Michelle30,827
  4. #4Mary25,316
  5. #5Susan22,262
  6. #6Karen21,537
  7. #7Angela19,555
  8. #8Tammy18,652
  9. #9Melissa18,377
  10. #10Jennifer18,236
  11. #142Shirley2,508

Top boys' names in 1967

  1. #1Michael82,411
  2. #2David66,806
  3. #3James61,683
  4. #4John61,600
  5. #5Robert56,369
  6. #6William37,615
  7. #7Mark34,910
  8. #8Richard33,585
  9. #9Christopher29,413
  10. #10Brian28,646
  11. #1,364Shirley31
More about 1967

girls

1,651,025 girls got a published name in 1967; 1 in 658 of them was named Shirley, which outranked 98.2% of the 7,852 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 15.8% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Shirley
  1. #139Crystal2,522
  2. #140Jamie2,511
  3. #141Shelley2,510
  4. #142Shirley2,508
  5. #143Traci2,444
  6. #144Vickie2,425
  7. #145Ruth2,420
Biggest movers since 1966
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,873Anissa#2,519 → #646
  2. ↑ 1,660Buffy#2,453 → #793
  3. ↑ 1,522Nichelle#2,022 → #500
  4. ↑ 893Josette#1,621 → #728
  5. ↑ 862Lissette#1,600 → #738
Fallers
  1. ↓ 792Tatia#668 → #1,460
  2. ↓ 531Inger#929 → #1,460
  3. ↓ 400Sonji#639 → #1,039
  4. ↓ 389Sunday#983 → #1,372
  5. ↓ 325Cinda#944 → #1,269

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

boys

1,743,811 boys got a published name in 1967; 1 in 56,252 of them was named Shirley, which outranked 70.0% of the 4,551 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 28.3% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Shirley
  1. #1,340Torrance32
  2. #1,340Valentine32
  3. #1,340Yancey32
  4. #1,364Shirley31
  5. #1,364Alonso31
  6. #1,364Blaise31
  7. #1,364Cal31
  8. #1,388Cecilio30
  9. #1,388Chadd30
  10. #1,388Derron30

Tied with 23 names at #1,364; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1966
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,048Alfie#1,963 → #915
  2. ↑ 548Waylon#1,540 → #992
  3. ↑ 519Ariel#1,450 → #931
  4. ↑ 430Brendon#1,345 → #915
  5. ↑ 416Terrill#1,259 → #843
Fallers
  1. ↓ 443German#968 → #1,411
  2. ↓ 396Darry#916 → #1,312
  3. ↓ 346Regan#835 → #1,181
  4. ↓ 337Caleb#916 → #1,253
  5. ↓ 317Winfred#785 → #1,102

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

See the top 100 for 1967 →