Shirley was a hugely popular girls' name that peaked at #2 in 1935 but is far less common today.
Shirley is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #1,586 for girl births in the United States (and #2,927 across all names), given to 133 babies. Shirley was first reported in SSA data in 1880 and peaked in 1935 (42,366 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 133 | 133 | #1,586 | — |
| 2024 | 151 | 151 | #1,455 | — |
| 2023 | 139 | 139 | #1,539 | — |
| 2022 | 134 | 134 | #1,588 | — |
| 2021 | 105 | 105 | #1,894 | — |
| 2020 | 137 | 137 | #1,550 | — |
| 2019 | 148 | 148 | #1,488 | — |
| 2018 | 152 | 152 | #1,450 | — |
| 2017 | 185 | 185 | #1,279 | — |
| 2016 | 168 | 168 | #1,393 | — |
| 2015 | 181 | 181 | #1,314 | — |
| 2014 | 202 | 202 | #1,213 | — |
| 2013 | 174 | 174 | #1,346 | — |
| 2012 | 176 | 176 | #1,338 | — |
| 2011 | 188 | 188 | #1,270 | — |
| 2010 | 178 | 178 | #1,325 | — |
| 2009 | 233 | 233 | #1,100 | — |
| 2008 | 304 | 304 | #908 | — |
| 2007 | 288 | 288 | #943 | — |
| 2006 | 249 | 249 | #1,032 | — |
| 2005 | 285 | 285 | #888 | — |
| 2004 | 240 | 250 | #990 | — |
| 2003 | 313 | 327 | #793 | — |
| 2002 | 259 | 265 | #878 | — |
| 2001 | 305 | 310 | #781 | — |
| 2000 | 259 | 264 | #851 | — |
| 1999 | 231 | 247 | #918 | — |
| 1998 | 293 | 307 | #742 | — |
| 1997 | 333 | — | #661 | — |
| 1996 | 339 | — | #655 | — |
| 1995 | 343 | — | #636 | — |
| 1994 | 380 | — | #593 | — |
| 1993 | 413 | — | #580 | #7,504 |
| 1992 | 454 | — | #530 | #9,606 |
| 1991 | 446 | — | #525 | — |
| 1990 | 472 | — | #510 | — |
| 1989 | 457 | — | #514 | — |
| 1988 | 468 | — | #492 | #7,118 |
| 1987 | 465 | — | #473 | #6,819 |
| 1986 | 440 | — | #492 | #7,671 |
| 1985 | 499 | — | #443 | #7,430 |
| 1984 | 482 | — | #438 | #7,172 |
| 1983 | 515 | — | #428 | #4,103 |
| 1982 | 608 | — | #385 | #5,537 |
| 1981 | 579 | — | #391 | — |
| 1980 | 611 | — | #380 | #4,875 |
| 1979 | 678 | — | #346 | #5,283 |
| 1978 | 656 | — | #336 | #4,118 |
| 1977 | 777 | — | #307 | — |
| 1976 | 846 | — | #277 | #3,237 |
| 1975 | 881 | — | #278 | #5,358 |
| 1974 | 1,022 | — | #254 | #3,099 |
| 1973 | 1,162 | — | #218 | #4,435 |
| 1972 | 1,347 | — | #209 | #2,803 |
| 1971 | 1,606 | — | #193 | #2,266 |
| 1970 | 1,648 | — | #198 | #2,112 |
| 1969 | 1,892 | — | #173 | #1,670 |
| 1968 | 2,155 | — | #150 | #2,429 |
| 1967 | 2,539 | — | #142 | #1,383 |
| 1966 | 2,955 | — | #124 | #1,276 |
| 1965 | 3,401 | — | #111 | #1,402 |
| 1964 | 3,994 | — | #103 | #1,538 |
| 1963 | 4,414 | — | #99 | #1,543 |
| 1962 | 4,905 | — | #96 | #1,309 |
| 1961 | 5,675 | — | #85 | #1,318 |
| 1960 | 6,457 | — | #70 | #1,165 |
| 1959 | 7,325 | — | #61 | #1,225 |
| 1958 | 8,141 | — | #52 | #1,059 |
| 1957 | 8,917 | — | #46 | #969 |
| 1956 | 9,483 | — | #41 | #1,029 |
| 1955 | 9,806 | — | #37 | #1,064 |
| 1954 | 10,975 | — | #33 | #914 |
| 1953 | 12,216 | — | #29 | #873 |
| 1952 | 12,596 | — | #28 | #859 |
| 1951 | 13,997 | — | #27 | #802 |
| 1950 | 15,973 | — | #19 | #760 |
| 1949 | 17,364 | — | #18 | #759 |
| 1948 | 16,192 | — | #20 | #811 |
| 1947 | 17,772 | — | #19 | #613 |
| 1946 | 18,015 | — | #18 | #536 |
| 1945 | 16,293 | — | #14 | #500 |
| 1944 | 16,437 | — | #15 | #540 |
| 1943 | 18,002 | — | #12 | #463 |
| 1942 | 17,955 | — | #12 | #429 |
| 1941 | 17,128 | — | #10 | #447 |
| 1940 | 18,095 | — | #9 | #390 |
| 1939 | 20,685 | — | #5 | #370 |
| 1938 | 24,031 | — | #5 | #343 |
| 1937 | 27,160 | — | #4 | #293 |
| 1936 | 35,542 | — | #2 | #277 |
| 1935 | 42,801 | — | #2 | #259 |
| 1934 | 23,129 | — | #4 | #319 |
| 1933 | 14,533 | — | #9 | #373 |
| 1932 | 14,718 | — | #9 | #358 |
| 1931 | 14,644 | — | #9 | #363 |
| 1930 | 15,048 | — | #11 | #338 |
| 1929 | 14,839 | — | #9 | #347 |
| 1928 | 14,464 | — | #10 | #370 |
| 1927 | 13,556 | — | #9 | #379 |
| 1926 | 11,976 | — | #14 | #412 |
| 1925 | 10,736 | — | #17 | #402 |
| 1924 | 9,715 | — | #19 | #410 |
| 1923 | 8,149 | — | #26 | #391 |
| 1922 | 6,636 | — | #39 | #399 |
| 1921 | 5,922 | — | #44 | #404 |
| 1920 | 4,909 | — | #56 | #429 |
| 1919 | 3,346 | — | #89 | #418 |
| 1918 | 2,836 | — | #97 | #442 |
| 1917 | 1,972 | — | #123 | #432 |
| 1916 | 1,400 | — | #160 | #451 |
| 1915 | 1,306 | — | #162 | #415 |
| 1914 | 1,047 | — | #160 | #403 |
| 1913 | 797 | — | #169 | #407 |
| 1912 | 555 | — | #198 | #489 |
| 1911 | 397 | — | #198 | #503 |
| 1910 | 342 | — | #204 | #596 |
| 1909 | 314 | — | #203 | #447 |
| 1908 | 306 | — | #198 | #551 |
| 1907 | 264 | — | #208 | #633 |
| 1906 | 210 | — | #234 | #471 |
| 1905 | 178 | — | #257 | #611 |
| 1904 | 162 | — | #272 | #443 |
| 1903 | 119 | — | #309 | #548 |
| 1902 | 126 | — | #311 | #456 |
| 1901 | 105 | — | #308 | #721 |
| 1900 | 142 | — | #324 | #401 |
| 1899 | 88 | — | #347 | #544 |
| 1898 | 85 | — | #373 | #567 |
| 1897 | 81 | — | #373 | #436 |
| 1896 | 67 | — | #384 | #669 |
| 1895 | 71 | — | #436 | #357 |
| 1894 | 69 | — | #408 | #408 |
| 1893 | 67 | — | #377 | #503 |
| 1892 | 73 | — | #347 | #538 |
| 1891 | 50 | — | #428 | #471 |
| 1890 | 59 | — | #405 | #423 |
| 1889 | 55 | — | #378 | #547 |
| 1888 | 46 | — | #442 | #552 |
| 1887 | 29 | — | #509 | #674 |
| 1886 | 33 | — | #570 | #446 |
| 1885 | 33 | — | #555 | #457 |
| 1884 | 29 | — | #498 | #603 |
| 1883 | 31 | — | #463 | #517 |
| 1882 | 20 | — | #670 | #605 |
| 1881 | 7 | — | — | #773 |
| 1880 | 18 | — | #671 | #630 |