Shirley (Name)

Shirley is an early pure male, but today almost exclusively female first name and a family name.

Origin and Meaning

Shirley is originally the title of a novel by Charlotte Brontë to the year 1849. Therein is a father to his daughter this name, which he had originally intended for a son. Since that time the name is popular. Before the publication of this novel, this name was male and rather rare.

As a surname it is more likely.

Bearers of the name

Female first name

• Shirley Ann Richards (1917-2006), Australian actress
• Shirley Babashoff ( b. 1957 ), American swimmer
• Shirley Bassey ( born 1937 ), British singer
• Shirley Booth (1898-1992), American actress
• Shirley Chisholm (1924-2005), American politician
• Shirley Collins ( born 1935 ), British folk musician
• Shirley Conran ( b. 1932 ), British writer and journalist
• Shirley Eaton ( b. 1936 ), British actress
• Shirley Fry ( * 1927), American tennis player
• Shirley Henderson (born 1965 ), British actress
• Shirley Horn (1935-2005), American jazz pianist and singer
• Shirley Jackson (1916-1965), American writer
• Shirley Ann Jackson ( born 1946 ), American physicist
• Shirley Jones ( born 1934 ), American actress
• Shirley Knight ( b. 1936 ), American actress
• Shirley Luster, birth name of June Christy (1925-1990), American jazz singer
• Shirley MacLaine ( born 1934 ), American actress
• Shirley Manson (born 1966 ), British singer
• Shirley Scott (1934-2002), American Jazzorganistin
• Shirley Strickland de la Hunty (1925-2004), Australian athlete
• Shirley Strong ( born 1958 ), British track and field athlete
• Shirley Temple (1928-2014), American actress
• Shirley Walker (1945-2006), American composer, conductor, pianist and producer

Male first name

• Shirley Waldemar Baker (around 1835-1903 ), Methodist missionary and politician of Tonga

Between Name

• Hamilton Shirley Amerasinghe (1913-1980), politician from Sri Lanka

Family name

• Anne Shirley (1918-1993), American actress
• Daniel Shirley ( b. 1979 ), New Zealand badminton player
• Derek Shirley ( b. 1975 ), Canadian jazz bassist
• Don Shirley (1927-2013), American pianist and composer
• Dorothy Shirley ( b. 1939 ), British track and field athlete
• James Shirley (1596-1666), English writer
• John Shirley ( born 1953 ), American writer and musician
• John Shirley ( editor ), British Cutter
• John Shirley - Quirk ( born 1931 ), British singer (bass - baritone)
• Jill Shirley, maiden name of Jill Hammersley ( born 1951 ), British table tennis player
• Jimmy Shirley (1913-1989), American jazz guitarist
• Justin Shirley -Smith, music producer
• Kevin Shirley ( b. 1960 ), South African music producer
• Lianne Shirley ( b. 1975 ), New Zealand badminton player
• Paul Shirley ( b. 1977 ), American basketball player
• Robert Shirley († 1628), English traveler and adventurer
• Robert Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers ( 1929-2012 ), British politician ( Conservative Party )
• Steve Shirley ( born 1933), British entrepreneur
• William Shirley (1693-1771), British colonial governor in North America

Fictional people

• Shirley Valentine from the same work of William Martin Russell

• Family name
• Female first name
• Male first name
• Literary personal name
• English personal name