2000
#1,176
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,300
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.12
Uncommon Last name
Shirley
From a place name meaning "bright clearing" or "bright meadow" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 29,151 Americans carry the last name Shirley. That puts it at #1,355 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 11,758 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Shirley surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Shirley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
29K
1 in 11,758
Census rank
#1,355
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
25K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 25,421 bearers of the surname Shirley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1355th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Shirley, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (9.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Shirley
Among Census respondents with the surname Shirley, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (9.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Shirley bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Shirley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.3% · 20,151
- Black or African American9.7% · 2,459
- Two or more races4.0% · 1,025
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.3% · 847
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 751
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 188
Timeline
Historical Census data for Shirley
Shirley appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,224
-76 bearers (-0.3%)
Per 100,000 9.23
Rank movement Down 116 places
2020
#1,355
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,421
-1,803 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 8.50
Rank movement Down 63 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,176 | 27,300 | 10.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,292 | 27,224 | 9.23 | -76 bearers (-0.3%) | Down 116 places |
| 2020 | #1,355 | 25,421 | 8.50 | -1,803 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 63 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Shirley surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,292 | #1,355 | -4.9% |
| Count | 27,224 | 25,421 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 9.23 | 8.50 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Shirley bearers went from 27,224 to 25,421 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 63 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,292 to #1,355.
FAQ
Shirley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Shirley?
Name Census estimates that about 29,151 living Americans carry the surname Shirley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 11,758 residents.
How common is Shirley?
Shirley ranks #1,355 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 25,421 people with the surname Shirley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (29,151), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Shirley.
Has Shirley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Shirley went from 27,224 recorded bearers to 25,421. That is a decrease of 1,803 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,292 to #1,355.
What does the Census say about the background of Shirley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Shirley, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.3%. The next largest groups are Black (9.7%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Shirley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.3% (20,151 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Shirley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.3%), Black (9.7%), Two or More Races (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Shirley (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Shirley mean?
From a place name meaning "bright clearing" or "bright meadow" in Old English. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Shirley (8.50 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Shirley?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.