Shirl
A feminine diminutive form of the name Shirley or Sharon.
Name Census estimates that about 1,188 living Americans carry the first name Shirl. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 74.7% of registrations being female. The average person named Shirl today is around 65 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Shirl births was 1964 (216 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Shirl. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Shirl started out as a boys' name but over the decades crossed over and is now given to girls far more often.
- • The typical person named Shirl is about 65 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Shirls were born before 1971.
People living today
1.2K
~ 1 in 288,514 Americans
Peak year
1964
216 babies that year
Average age
65
years old
1966 SSA rank
#4,450
Tracked since 1915
Gender
Gender distribution for Shirl
Shirl is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 1,771 total registrations, 448 (25.3%) were male and 1,323 (74.7%) were female.
Shirl as a male name
- Ranked #4,450 in 1966
- 5 male births in 1966
- Peak: 1938 (22 births)
Shirl as a female name
- Ranked #11,781 in 1983
- 5 female births in 1983
- Peak: 1964 (210 births)
Popularity
Shirl: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Shirl from the 1910s through to the 1980s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 814 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Shirl by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Shirl during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Shirls live
The SSA's state-level files cover 20 states and territories. Pennsylvania, Texas, Maryland recorded the most babies named Shirl, while New Jersey, Arkansas, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 25 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Shirl
The name Shirl is a diminutive form of the English name Shirley, which itself is derived from the Old English word "scīr" meaning "bright" or "brilliant." This name originated in England and has been in use since the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Shirl can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name is listed as "Schireleia," referring to a village in the county of Derbyshire.
In terms of historical figures, Shirl was not a particularly common name, but there are a few notable individuals who bore this name. One such person was Shirl Hendryx (1899-1980), an American actress and vaudeville performer who appeared in several Broadway productions and films in the early 20th century.
Another prominent figure with the name Shirl was Shirl Garlock (1916-1998), an American artist and illustrator who was particularly known for her work in children's literature. Her illustrations appeared in numerous books, including the popular "Little House on the Prairie" series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
In the realm of sports, Shirl Hertzer (1923-2006) was a professional baseball player who spent several seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the 1940s and 1950s. She was one of the league's top pitchers and helped pave the way for greater opportunities for women in professional sports.
The name Shirl also has literary connections. Shirl Hendryx (1908-1986) was an American writer and educator who authored several books on teaching methods and child development. Her works were widely influential in the field of education during the mid-20th century.
Finally, Shirl Penney (1927-2012) was a Canadian entrepreneur and business executive who co-founded the successful retail chain Dynasty Furniture Ltd. She was a pioneer in the furniture industry and played a significant role in the company's growth and success over several decades.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Shirl throughout history. While not a particularly common name, it has a rich heritage and has been associated with individuals from various fields and backgrounds.
People
Shirl + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Shirl as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Shirl: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Shirl?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,188 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Shirl going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 288,514 US residents.
Is Shirl a common name?
We classify Shirl as "Rare". It ranks above 91.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,771 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Shirl most popular?
The single biggest year for Shirl was 1964, when 216 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Shirl is about 65 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Shirl a female name?
Yes, 74.7% of people registered as Shirl in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.