Shirley Family History

Shirley Surname Meaning

English: habitational name from any of the places so named such as Shirley (Warwickshire), Shirley in Millbrook (Hampshire), Shirley (Surrey), Shirley in Owston (Yorkshire), and Shirley (Derbyshire). The placenames probably derive from Old English scīr ‘bright’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’, though some may have scīr ‘district shire’ as the initial element if they lie on a boundary; for example, the Warwickshire place lies on the Warwickshire-Worcestershire boundary.

The name Shirley first appears in Ireland in the late 17th century following the granting of lands to a Shirley family in the barony of Farney, Monaghan.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Similar surnames: Shipley, Shelley, Harley, Thorley, Hurley, Chipley, Sharpley, Smitley, Fairley, Sherley

235K	Birth, Marriage, and Deaths
33K	Military Records
13K	Immigration Records
213K	Census and Voter Lists
809K	Member Trees

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Shirley family from?

You can see how Shirley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shirley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shirley families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 67 Shirley families living in Ontario. This was about 39% of all the recorded Shirley's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Shirley families in 1911.

Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shirley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Shirley

What did your Shirley ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Income were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Shirley. 49% of Shirley men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Shirley women worked as an Income. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shirley were Engineer and Housekeeper.

View Census Data for Shirley

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Farmer

49%

Laborer

11%

Labourer

Engineer

Income

34%

Farmer

34%

Housekeeper

34%

What Shirley family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 213K census records available for the last name Shirley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shirley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Shirley

Passenger List

There are 13K immigration records available for the last name Shirley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Shirley immigration records

Military Records

There are 33K military records available for the last name Shirley. For the veterans among your Shirley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shirley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shirley family history

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What is the average Shirley lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Shirley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Shirley in 1942 was 51, and 72 in 2004.

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Shirley family tree

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Shirley Surname Meaning

The name Shirley first appears in Ireland in the late 17th century following the granting of lands to a Shirley family in the barony of Farney, Monaghan.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022

Where is the Shirley family from?

What did your Shirley ancestors do for a living?

Data not to scale

We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Farmer

49%

Laborer

11%

Labourer

Engineer

Income

34%

Farmer

34%

Housekeeper

34%

What Shirley family records will you find?

What is the average Shirley lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Shirley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Shirley in 1942 was 51, and 72 in 2004.

Shirley Family History

Shirley Surname Meaning

1 million record(s) for Shirley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Shirley family from?

What did your Shirley ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Shirley family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Shirley family history

What is the average Shirley lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Shirley family tree

Search for another surname

Shirley Surname Meaning

1 million record(s) for Shirley

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Where is the Shirley family from?

What did your Shirley ancestors do for a living?

Top Male Occupations In 1921

Top Female Occupations In 1921

What Shirley family records will you find?

Census Record

Passenger List

Military Records

You've only scratched the surface of Shirley family history

What is the average Shirley lifespan?

Discover the unique achievements of ancestors in the Shirley family tree

Search for another surname