Virlie
A feminine name possibly derived from Virgil, meaning "flourishing" or "prosperous".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Virlie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Virlie today is around 71 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Virlie births was 1917 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Virlie. 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
- • The typical person named Virlie is about 71 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Virlies were born before 1965.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Virlie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1917
9 babies that year
Average age
71
years old
1929 SSA rank
#3,667
Tracked since 1895
Popularity
Virlie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Virlie from the 1890s through to the 1920s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 19 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Virlie 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 Virlie during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Virlie
The name Virlie is an English given name with roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "virl," which means "noble" or "exalted." The earliest recorded use of the name dates back to the 13th century, where it was primarily used in rural areas of England.
Virlie is believed to have been popularized by the character Virlie the Virtuous in the medieval morality play "The Castle of Perseverance," which was written in the late 15th century. This allegorical play was widely performed across England and helped to spread the name's usage.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Virlie was Virlie Maysfield, a landowner and local magistrate who lived in the village of Stoke-on-Trent in the late 14th century. Records from the time indicate that he was a respected figure in the community and played a role in local government.
In the 16th century, Virlie Grenville (1498-1568) was a notable figure in English history. She was the wife of Sir Richard Grenville, a soldier and explorer who fought in the Battle of Pavia and was later a member of Parliament. Virlie Grenville was known for her charitable works and is mentioned in several historical accounts of the time.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Virlie Cromwell (1624-1672) was the daughter of Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland. She was a strong supporter of her father's cause and played a role in the political affairs of the time.
Another historical figure with the name Virlie was Virlie Nightingale (1768-1845), a British philanthropist and social reformer. She was a pioneer in the field of nursing and is credited with establishing the first secular nursing school in London.
In the 19th century, Virlie Hawthorne (1832-1864) was an American author and the daughter of renowned novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne. She is known for her work in children's literature and her advocacy for women's rights.
People
Virlie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Virlie as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with V
Other first names starting with V with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Virlie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Virlie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Virlie 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Virlie a common name?
We classify Virlie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 39 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Virlie most popular?
The single biggest year for Virlie was 1917, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Virlie is about 71 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Virlie in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Virlie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Virlie 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.
Is Virlie still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Virlie in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Virlie can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Virlie?
See how many Americans are named Virlie on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.