Find out how popular the last name Shirley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Shirley.

Shirley, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Shirley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Shirley in America

Shirley is the 1292nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Shirley surname appeared 27,224 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 9 people would have the surname Shirley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Shirley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Shirley

The surname Shirley originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period, derived from the Old English words "scir" meaning "bright" and "leah" meaning "meadow" or "clearing." It is a locational surname that referred to someone who lived near a bright, open meadow or clearing in a forest.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Shirley can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sirelei" in Derbyshire. This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Shirley was prominent in Warwickshire and the West Midlands region of England. The Shirley family held significant landholdings in these areas, and several members of the family were knighted or held important positions in the medieval English nobility.

One notable figure was Sir Thomas Shirley (c. 1459-1512), a soldier and courtier who served under King Henry VII and Henry VIII. Another was Sir Robert Shirley (1627-1656), a traveler and adventurer who spent time in Persia and wrote accounts of his journeys.

In the 16th century, the surname Shirley was also associated with the village of Shirley in Derbyshire, which likely took its name from the Old English words for "bright meadow."

During the English Civil War in the 17th century, several members of the Shirley family were prominent Royalists who supported King Charles I against the Parliamentarians. Sir Robert Shirley (1589-1638), a diplomat and adventurer, was one such figure.

Other notable individuals with the surname Shirley include Anne Shirley (1918-1993), an American actress known for her roles in films like "Anne of Green Gables" and "The Princess Comes Across," and James Shirley (1596-1666), an English playwright and poet who was one of the last great dramatists of the Renaissance period.

Overall, the surname Shirley has a long and rich history in England, with roots dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period and connections to various notable figures throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Shirley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Shirley.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Shirley was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Shirley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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