Find out how popular the first name Sherley has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Sherley by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Sherley is exclusively a female name.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 7 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Sherley.

The history of the first name Sherley

The name Sherley is an English variant of the name Shirley, which originated from a location in Derbyshire, England. The place name Shirley is derived from the Old English words "scir" meaning "bright" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "woodland clearing." Thus, the name Sherley can be interpreted as "bright meadow" or "bright woodland clearing."

During the Middle Ages, the name Sherley was primarily used as a surname, referring to individuals who hailed from the town of Shirley in Derbyshire. It wasn't until the 16th century that the name began to be adopted as a given name, particularly for females.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sherley as a given name can be found in the parish records of St. Botolph's Church in Aldgate, London, where a Sherley Smyth was christened in 1563. Although less common, the name was also occasionally bestowed upon males during this period.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the name Sherley was Sir Robert Sherley, an English explorer and adventurer who traveled extensively in Persia and the Ottoman Empire. He was born in 1581 and died in 1628.

Another prominent individual with the name Sherley was Anthony Sherley, the younger brother of Sir Robert Sherley. Anthony was also a traveler and diplomat, and he played a significant role in establishing trade relations between England and Persia during the reign of Shah Abbas I. He lived from 1565 to 1635.

In the 18th century, a well-known Sherley was Mary Sherley, an English writer and poet who was born in 1725. She published several works, including a collection of poems titled "The Court of Oberon" in 1768.

Moving into the 19th century, one of the most famous bearers of the name Sherley was Jane Sherley, an English author and playwright. Born in 1804, she wrote several novels and plays, with her most notable work being the play "Ina" published in 1839.

In the 20th century, a notable Sherley was Sherley Anne Williams, an African American writer and poet who was born in 1944. She is best known for her novel "Dessa Rose," which was published in 1986 and explored themes of slavery, race, and gender.

While the name Sherley has waxed and waned in popularity over the centuries, it has maintained a unique connection to its English origins and has been borne by a diverse array of individuals throughout history.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Sherley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Sherley, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!