How old is someone named Shirley?
The average Shirley is 75 years old.
Half of all living Shirleys are between 69 and 84.
When was Shirley popular?
Parents have been choosing Shirley less often since its peak in 1935; 133 babies got the name in 2025.
Popular names of 1935 · The most popular names of the 1930s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 1,926 | 0 |
| 1910s | 13,998 | 0 |
| 1920s | 100,902 | 2,400 |
| 1930s | 232,291 | 54,000 |
| 1940s | 173,253 | 97,000 |
| 1950s | 109,429 | 84,000 |
| 1960s | 38,387 | 33,000 |
| 1970s | 10,623 | 9,900 |
| 1980s | 5,124 | 4,900 |
| 1990s | 3,704 | 3,600 |
| 2000s | 2,735 | 2,700 |
| 2010s | 1,752 | 1,700 |
| 2020s | 799 | 790 |
How many Shirleys are still alive?
About 290,000 Shirleys are alive in the US today. That's 42% of the roughly 700,000 babies named Shirley since 1880.
Most Shirleys ever born have died: the name was most popular in 1935, long enough ago that many of those babies are gone.
What generation is the name Shirley?
About half of living Shirleys are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Is Shirley an old name?
Yes. Shirley is older than 100 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Looking ahead: if babies keep getting the name at today's pace, the typical Shirley will be 71 in 2056, about the same as today.
Is Shirley a boy or girl name?
Almost entirely girls: 99.4% of living Shirleys are women.
Names the same age as Shirley
NAME TWIN
Shirley's name twin is Lois. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, Lois's age curve is the closest match to Shirley's: 93% alike.
Compare: Shirley vs. Betty
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Questions about the name Shirley
How old is the average Shirley?
The average Shirley in the US is 75 years old. The median is 77, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named Shirley?
About 290,000 Shirleys are alive in the US today, out of roughly 700,000 babies given the name since 1880.
When was the name Shirley most popular?
In 1935, when about 43,000 baby girls were named Shirley.
Is Shirley a Boomer name?
Yes. About 51% of living Shirleys are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this