Sherley
Sherley was not among the names given to 5 or more girls in 2025. Its best year was 1934, when it ranked 1544th; the most babies were born in 1947 (30). More babies were named Sherley in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Shirley) bright clearing; shire meadow · English, Old English
- Rank in 2025
- Not rankedgirls
- Babies in 2025
- 0girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194730 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,502babies recorded
What does the name Sherley mean?
Sherley is a spelling of Shirley, pronounced the same way, so it shares Shirley's meaning and origin.
Shirley is an English place name and surname from Old English scīr and lēah, as Wiktionary explains; scīr can mean 'shire, district' or 'bright', so the place names are read as 'county meadow' or 'bright clearing'. Originally a boys' name, it became a girls' name after Charlotte Brontë's novel Shirley (1849), and child star Shirley Temple made it hugely popular in the 1930s.
scīr (Old English, “shire; bright”)lēah (Old English, “clearing, meadow”)
How sure is this? Well established. Which sense of scīr applies varies by place.
Related names: Shirlee, Shirl.
See also: English names, names that mean meadow, hill or valley, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Shirley', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (our computation), SSA (public domain)
Sherley popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | — | — |
| 2020 | — | — | — | — |
| 2010 | #11,137 | — | 10 | — |
| 2000 | #9,070 | — | 11 | — |
| 1990 | #7,802 | — | 11 | — |
| 1980 | #8,045 | — | 8 | — |
| 1970 | #5,747 | — | 9 | — |
| 1960 | #3,333 | — | 15 | — |
| 1950 | #2,240 | — | 20 | — |
| 1940 | #2,093 | #3,419 | 16 | 6 |
| 1930 | #2,011 | — | 18 | — |
| 1920 | #4,897 | #2,212 | 6 | 15 |
| 1910 | #2,738 | — | 5 | — |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Sherley, counting every spelling?
Sherley is a spelling of Shirley, a name family that ranked #1,441 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together. Together these spellings went to 133 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shirley | 133 | #1,586 | 662 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How old are people named Sherley?
About 800 people born in the US named Sherley are alive today, with a median age of 45; half are between 26 and 71. That makes Sherley mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Sherley: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Sherley, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Sherley
What does Sherley mean?
Sherley is a spelling of Shirley, which means “bright clearing; shire meadow” (English, Old English origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Sherley?
Sherley was not among the names given to 5 or more girls in 2025. Its best year was 1934, when it ranked 1544th; the most babies were born in 1947 (30). More babies were named Sherley in the 1930s than in any other decade.
Is Sherley a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Sherley in the US.