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Shirley

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“Bright clearing”

Shirley from a surname which was originally derived from a place name meaning "bright clearing" in Old English. This is the name of the main character in Charlotte Brontë's semi-autobiographical novel 'Shirley' (1849). The child actress Shirley Temple (1928-2014) helped to popularize this name.

English2 syllables · /ˈʃɜrli/

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Related forms

Names related to Shirley through nicknames, language, or historical forms.

SherleyShirlee

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Name data: U.S. Social Security birth records, 1880–2025.Built by two parents who couldn’t pick either.

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