Holding steady.
Popularity of Sherley since 1910
Babies named Sherley per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1947, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Sherley's real moment was 1934.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 45 | 50 |
| 1920s | 104 | 96 |
| 1930s | 157 | 82 |
| 1940s | 202 | 36 |
| 1950s | 126 | 0 |
| 1960s | 110 | 0 |
| 1970s | 60 | 0 |
| 1980s | 112 | 0 |
| 1990s | 110 | 0 |
| 2000s | 152 | 0 |
| 2010s | 53 | 0 |
| 2020s | 7 | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Sherley is a variant spelling of Shirley that saw its highest usage in 1934, the peak year for this name. While Shirley itself became famous through child star Shirley Temple, Sherley was a much less common alternate spelling. The name has always been given almost exclusively to girls, and it has remained stable in rarity since its brief period of modest popularity. According to Social Security data, its first recorded year was 1910, and it has not been ranked in recent decades.
Sherley is a variant spelling of Shirley, an English surname turned given name. The place name Shirley derives from Old English 'scir' (bright) and 'leah' (wood, clearing), meaning 'bright clearing' or 'bright meadow'. As a feminine name, it saw moderate use in the early 20th century, peaking in the 1930s, influenced by the popularity of Shirley Temple.
“Sherley” around the world
Where Sherley lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Sher
Variants: Shirley
Sibling names for Sherley
Names that share Sherley's style, for a brother or sister.
