Name meaning & stats
Shirly
Shirly means “bright clearing”. 735 US babies since 1940, peak 1942. Notable Shirlys are 1.4× over-represented as film producers.
What it means
“bright clearing”
Spelling of Shirley
Originally a surname.
Shirley around the world
- Ширли · Russian
- Ширлі · Ukrainian
- شيرلي · Arabic
- שירלי · Hebrew
- シャーリー · Japanese
- 雪莉 · Chinese
- Shirly
Famous Shirleys
- Shirley Temple · American actress and diplomat (1928–2014)
- Shirley MacLaine · American actress
- Shirley Chisholm · first black woman elected to the United States Congress (1924-2005)
- Shirley Booth · American actress (1898–1992)
In US birth records
Peak year: 1942
735 US babies were named Shirly between 1940 and 2025.
Shirly around the world
- France: 70 babies since 1900, peak 2023
From official birth registries. Sources are listed on About the data.
Where Shirlys end up
| Career | vs expected | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Actor | 1.1× | Low · 2 people |
| Film producer | 1.4× | Low · 2 people |
| TV presenter | 1.3× | Low · 2 people |
| Writer | 1.0× | Low · 1 people |
Among notable women who are film producers, Shirlys show up 1.4× as often as you'd expect from how common the name is.
Notable people of every nationality born 1940–2005 (Wikidata). Patterns, not destiny.
Other spellings
1 in 472 Shirleys spell it Shirly
Names that sound the same, grouped by Heyotag. Share of US babies since 1940.
Name twins (peaked around 1942)