Shirley is a given name and a surname originating from the English place-name Shirley, which is derived from the Old English elements ''scire'' ("shire") or ''scīr'' ("bright, clear") and ''lēah'' ("wood, clearing, meadow, enclosure"). The name makes reference to the open space where the

moot Moot may refer to: * Mootness, in American law: a point where further proceedings have lost practical significance; whereas in British law: the issue remains debatable * Moot court, an activity in many law schools where participants take part in s ...

(an early English assembly of freemen which met to administer justice and discuss community issues) was held. Shirley was originally a male name, but became established as a female name in 1849 due to its use in

Charlotte Brontë Charlotte Brontë (, commonly ; 21 April 1816 – 31 March 1855) was an English novelist and poet, the eldest of the three Brontë sisters who survived into adulthood and whose novels became classics of English literature. She enlisted i ...

's novel ''

Shirley Shirley may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Shirley'' (novel), an 1849 novel by Charlotte Brontë * ''Shirley'' (1922 film), a British silent film * ''Shirley'' (2020 film), an American film * ''Shirley'' (album), a 1961 album by Shirley Bas ...

'' and further popularized in 1851–52 by its pseudonymous use by

California Gold Rush The California Gold Rush (1848–1855) was a gold rush that began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The news of gold brought approximately 300,000 people to California fro ...

writer Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe (Dame Shirley). It was eventually brought to its highest popularity, in the 1930s, by the fame of child star

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple;While Temple occasionally used "Jane" as a middle name, her birth certificate reads "Shirley Temple". Her birth certificate was altered to prolong her babyhood shortly after she signed with Fox in ...

Given name

Female

(born 1946), Dutch singer *

Shirley Abicair Shirley Abicair (born 26 October 1930) is an Australian-born singer, musician, television personality, actress and author. In the 1950s and 60s, she was probably best known as an exponent of the zither. Early life Shirley Abicair was born in Mel ...

(born 1928), Australian singer, musician, actress and author *

Shirley Abrahamson Shirley Schlanger Abrahamson (December 17, 1933December 19, 2020) was the 25th chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. An American lawyer and jurist, she was appointed to the court in 1976 by Governor Patrick Lucey, becoming the first femal ...

(1933–2020), American judge *

Shirley Andrews Shirley Aldythea Marshall Seymour Andrews (5 November 1915 – 15 September 2001) was an Australian biochemist, dancer, researcher and Aboriginal rights activist. Early life and education Andrews was born on November 5, 1915, to Doris Andrews ...

(1915–2001), Australian biochemist * Shirley Annan (1940–2017), New Zealand netball player * Shirley Ardener, Cameroonian researcher *

Shirley Armstrong Shirley Armstrong-Duffy (14 August 1930 – 21 December 2018) was an Irish fencer. She competed in the women's individual foil event at the 1960 Summer Olympics for the Republic of Ireland. Biography Armstrong married Irish fencer, Patrick ...

(1930–2018), Irish fencer *

Shirley Ascott Shirley Ascott (10 December 1930 – 29 December 1995) was a British canoe sprinter who competed in the early 1950s. She competed in the K-1 500 m event at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, but was eliminated in the heats. Biography Asc ...

(1930–1995), British sprint canoer *

Shirley Babashoff Shirley Frances Babashoff (born January 31, 1957) is an American former competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in multiple events. Babashoff set six world records and earned a total of nine Olympic medals in her c ...

(born 1957), American swimmer * Shirley Baker (1932–2014), British photographer *

Shirley Ballas Shirley Annette Ballas (née Rich, formerly Stopford; born 6 September 1960) is an English ballroom dancer, dance teacher, and dance adjudicator. She specialises in the International Latin division, where she won several championship titles whi ...

(born 1960), English ballroom dancer * Shirley Banfield (born 1937), Australian cricket player * Shirley Barber (born 1935), English author * Shirley Barker (1911–1965), American author * Shirley Barlow, English classicist *

Shirley Barrett Shirley Barrett (1961 – 3 August 2022) was an Australian film director, screenwriter, and novelist. Her first film '' Love Serenade'' won the Caméra d'Or at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival. She wrote and directed two other feature films '' Wal ...

(born 1961), Australian film director *

Shirley Barrie Shirley Barrie (1945-2018) was a Canadian writer. She was the co-founder of the Wakefield Tricycle Company and Tricycle Theatre. Her plays include ''Straight Stitching'', ''Carrying the Calf'', and ''Tripping Through Time''. Early life and edu ...

(1945–2018), Canadian playwright *

Shirley Bassey Dame Shirley Veronica Bassey (; born 8 January 1937) is a Welsh singer. Best known for her career longevity, powerful voice and recording the theme songs to three James Bond films, Bassey is widely regarded as one of the most popular vocalists ...

(born 1937), Welsh singer *

Shirley Bear Shirley Bear (born May 16, 1936) is a Tobique First Nation artist, traditional herbalist, poet, and activist. She is an original member of the Wabanaki language group of New Brunswick. Background The daughter of Susan Paul-Bear and Noel Bear Jr. ...

(born 1936), Tobique First Nation artist *

Shirley Becke Shirley Cameron Becke (née Jennings; 29 April 1917 – 25 October 2011) was a British police officer. She was the fourth and last commander of the London Metropolitan Police's A4 Branch (Women Police), from 1966 to 1973, and the first woman o ...

(1917–2011), British police officer *

Shirley Berruz Shirley Viviana Berruz Aguilar (born 6 January 1991) is an Ecuadorian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Super Liga Femenina club América de Quito and the Ecuador women's national team. International career Berruz represented Ecuador a ...

(born 1991), Ecuadorian footballer *

Shirley Blumberg Shirley Blumberg (CM, OAA, FRAIC, AIA) (born February 4, 1952) is a Canadian architect. She is a founding partner of KPMB Architects in Toronto, a Canadian practice. In 2013, Blumberg was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada "for her cont ...

(born 1952), Canadian architect *

Shirley Bond Shirley Bond (born 1956 or 1957)P.G. Mount Robson's Liberal candidates: Party members choose their candidate Friday and Saturday: inal EditionHoekstra, Gordon. Prince George Citizen rince George, B.C27 Sep 2000: 5. is a Canadian politician who ...

(born 1956), Canadian politician *

Shirley Bonne Shirley Mae Tanner (born May 22, 1934) is an American former film and television actress. She is known for playing the role of "Eileen Sherwood" in the American sitcom television series ''My Sister Eileen''. Born in Los Angeles, California, the ...

(born 1934), American actress and model *

Shirley Booth Shirley Booth (born Marjory Ford; August 30, 1898October 16, 1992) was an American actress. One of only 24 performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting, Booth was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and three Tony Awa ...

(1898–1992), American actress *

Shirley Booz Shirley Colleen Booz (June 28, 1927 – May 3, 2009) was an American model and dancer. She appeared in a variety of advertisements created in the Chicago area in the 1930s and 40s, and also trained as dancer and performed with companies like th ...

(1927–2009), American model and dancer *

Shirley Borhauer Shirley Ursala Borhauer (; October 2, 1926 – December 10, 2013) was an American politician. She served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 2001 to 2007. Early life Borhauer was born Shirley Ursala Czosek on October 2, 1926, in Chic ...

(born 1926), American politician *

Shirley Ayorkor Botchway Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (born 8 February 1963), is a Ghanaian politician who serves as Ghana's minister for foreign affairs and regional integration. She was appointed by Ghanaian president Nana Akufo-Addo as Minister of Foreign Affairs on 10 Ja ...

(born 1963), Ghanaian politician * Shirley Bottolfsen (born 1934), Irish woman * Shirley Bousquet (born 1976), French actress *

Shirley D. Bowler Shirley Bowler (née Duvigneaud; born October 2, 1949) is a writer and editor who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1992 until term-limited in 2008. A Republican, she represented Louisiana House District 78, w ...

(born 1949), American writer, editor and politician * Shirley Braha (born 1982), American television producer *

Shirley Brasher Shirley Brasher (née Bloomer; born 13 June 1934) is a former tennis player from England who won three Grand Slam titles during her career and who was the top-ranked singles player in her country in 1957. Early life She attended Cleethorpes Girl ...

(born 1934), English tennis player *

Shirley Breeden Shirley Breeden (born 1955) is an American politician who served as a member of the Nevada Senate for the 5th district from 2009 to 2012. Early life and education Breeden was born in Needles, California and raised in Las Vegas. After graduatin ...

, American politician *

Shirley Brifman Shirley Margaret Brifman (; 7 December 1935 – 4 March 1972) was an Australian sex worker and brothel madam who was known as a whistleblower on police corruption. She died at the age of 36 in suspicious circumstances, in what was ruled a suicide ...

(1935–1972), Australian prostitute and brothel madam * Shirley Briggs (1918–2004), American artist, photographer, writer, and naturalist *

Shirley Brill Shirley Brill ( he, שירלי בריל; born 1982) is an Israeli clarinetist living in Germany. Education and career Born in Petah Tikva, Israel, Brill received her musical education in Israel from Yitzhak Katzap at the Petah Tikva Conserv ...

(born 1982), Israeli clarinetist *

Shirley Brown Shirley Brown (born January 6, 1947, West Memphis, Arkansas) is an American R&B singer, best known for her million-selling single " Woman to Woman", which was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1975. Biography Brown was born in West Memphis, but ...

(born 1947), American R&B singer *

Shirley Brown (Australian author) Shirley Naomi Brown (née Probert) is an Australian author who has written extensively about the history of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. Early life Brown grew up in Burwood in Melbourne, Victoria. She wanted to be a dr ...

(born 1934), Australian author * Shirley Brown (Florida politician), American politician * Shirley Burgess (born 1934), British sprinter *

Shirley Burkovich Shirley Burkovich (February 4, 1933 – March 31, 2022) was an American professional baseball infielder, outfielder and pitcher who played from 1949 through 1951 in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Listed at and , she batted ...

(1933-2022), American baseball player * Shirley Burman (born 1934), American photographer *

Shirley Caesar Shirley Ann Caesar-Williams (born October 13, 1938), known professionally as Shirley Caesar, is an American gospel singer whose career has spanned seven decades. She has won 11 Grammys in addition to Dove Awards and Stellar Awards; Caesar is kno ...

(born 1938), American gospel singer *

Shirley Cain Shirley Cain (born Shirley Roberts; April 30, 1935) is a British actress of film and television. She graduated from RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoir ...

(born 1935), British actress *

Shirley Aley Campbell Shirley Aley Campbell (March 26,1925 – August 13, 2018) was a figurative realist painter, called "Cleveland’s own artistic blend of Alice Neel and Lucien Freud". Quotes "Campbell’s art explores the vast range of the human conditi ...

(1925–2018), American painter * Shirley Carr (1929–2010), Canadian political leader *

Shirley Cawley Shirley Cawley (born 26 April 1932) is a British former athlete who won the bronze medal in the long jump at the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland. She was born in Croydon and ran for the Croydon Harriers Croydon Harriers is a ...

(born 1932), British athlete *

Shirley Cheechoo Shirley Cheechoo ( cr, ᔒᓕᒋᒍ born 1952) is a Canadian Cree actress, writer, producer, director, and visual artist, best known for her solo-voice or monodrama play '' Path With No Moccasins'', as well as her work with De-Ba-Jeh-Mu-Jig th ...

(born 1952), Canadian Cree actress, writer, producer, director, and visual artist *

Shirley Chisholm Shirley Anita Chisholm ( ; ; November 30, 1924 – January 1, 2005) was an American politician who, in 1968, became the first black woman to be elected to the United States Congress. Chisholm represented New York's 12th congressional distr ...

(1924–2005), American politician, educator and author, first African-American woman elected to Congress *

Shirley Clamp Shirley Natasja Clamp (born 17 February 1973) is a British-Swedish pop singer.Shirley Clamp
posh24.se, accessed on May 7, 2010 ...

(born 1973), Swedish singer *

Shirley Bell Cole Shirley Adrienne Bell Cole (February 21, 1920 (another source says 1921DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 28.) – January 12, 20 ...

(1920–2010), American actress *

Shirley Collins Shirley Elizabeth Collins MBE (born 5 July 1935) is an English folk singer who was a significant contributor to the English Folk Revival of the 1960s and 1970s. She often performed and recorded with her sister Dolly, whose accompaniment on ...

(born 1935), English folk singer *

Shirley Collins (politician) Shirley Jean Collins (born October 7, 1952) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. She served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal from 1987 to 1990, and was a Cabinet Minister in the government of David Peterson. Background ...

(born 1952), Canadian former politician *

Shirley Crabtree Shirley Crabtree (14 November 1930 – 2 December 1997), better known as Big Daddy, was an English professional wrestler with a record-breaking 64-inch chest. He worked for Joint Promotions and the original British Wrestling Federation. Initia ...

British wrestler (1930-1997) * Shirley Curry (born 1936), American YouTuber and gamer. *

Shirley Douglas Shirley Jean Douglas (April 2, 1934 – April 5, 2020) was a Canadian actress and activist. Her acting career combined with her family name made her recognizable in Canadian film, television and national politics. Early life Douglas was born A ...

(1934–2020), Canadian actress and activist * Shirley Duguay (1962–1994), Canadian murder victim *

Shirley Eaton Shirley Jean Eaton (born 12 January 1937) is an English actress, author and singer. Eaton appeared regularly in British films throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and gained her highest profile for her iconic appearance as Bond Girl Jill Masterson in ...

(born 1937), English actress, model and author *

Shirley Englehorn Shirley Ruth Englehorn (December 12, 1940 – October 2, 2022) was an American professional golfer. Nicknamed "Dimples", she won 11 tournaments during her LPGA Tour career, including one major, the 1970 LPGA Championship. Early life and amateu ...

(1940-2022), American golfer * Shirley Adele Field (1923–1995), American politician and judge *

Shirley Anne Field Shirley Anne Field (born Shirley Broomfield; 27 June 1938) is an English actress who has performed on stage, film and television since 1955, prominent during the British New Wave. Early life Broomfield was born in Forest Gate, Essex (now in t ...

(born 1936), English actress * Shirley Bunnie Foy (1936–2016), American singer * Shirley M. Frye, American mathematics educator *

Shirley Goodman Shirley Mae Goodman (June 19, 1936 – July 5, 2005) was an American R&B singer, best known as one half of Shirley and Lee, a 1950s duo. Later in her career, she had a resurgence with the disco hit " Shame, Shame, Shame" in the 1970s. Career ...

(1936–2005), American R&B singer, half of the 1950s duo Shirley and Lee *

Shirley Ann Grau Shirley Ann Grau (July 8, 1929August 3, 2020) was an American writer. Born in New Orleans, she lived part of her childhood in Montgomery, Alabama. Her novels are set primarily in the Deep South and explore issues of race and gender. In 1965 she w ...

(1929–2020), American writer *

Shirley Brice Heath Shirley Brice Heath (born 26 July 1939) is an American linguistic anthropologist, and Professor Emerita, Margery Bailey Professorship in English, at Stanford University. She graduated from Lynchburg College, Ball State University, and Columb ...

, American linguistic anthropologist *

Shirley Hemphill Shirley Ann Hemphill (July 1, 1947 – December 10, 1999) was an American stand-up comedian and actress. A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Hemphill moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s to pursue a career as a stand-up comedian. After work ...

(1947–1999), American stand-up comedian and actress *

Shirley Henderson Shirley Henderson (born 24 November 1965) is a Scottish actress. Her accolades include two Scottish BAFTAs, a VFCC Award and an Olivier Award, as well as BAFTA, BIFA, London Critics' Circle, Chlotrudis, Gotham, and Canadian Screen Award ...

(born 1965), Scottish actress * Shirley A. Hokanson (born 1936), American politician and social worker *

Shirley Huffman Shirley Todd Huffman (August 30, 1928 – July 1, 2018) was an American politician and legal secretary in the U.S. state of Oregon. Raised in Dayton, Oregon, she settled in Hillsboro, Oregon, where she served on the city council before serving ...

(1928–2018), American politician *

Shirley Ann Jackson Shirley Ann Jackson, (born August 5, 1946) is an American physicist, and was the 18th president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is the first African-American woman to have earned a doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ...

(born 1946), American physicist *

Shirley Jackson Shirley Hardie Jackson (December 14, 1916 – August 8, 1965) was an American writer known primarily for her works of horror and mystery. Over the duration of her writing career, which spanned over two decades, she composed six novels, two me ...

(1916–1965), American writer * Shirley Johnson (1937–2021), American politician * Shirley Brannock Jones (1925–2019), American judge *

Shirley Jones Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an American actress and singer. In her six decades in show business, she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of musical films, such as ''Oklahoma!'' (1955), ''Carousel'' (1956), and ''The M ...

(born 1934), American singer and actress * Shirley Kallek (1926–1983), American statistician *

Shirley Knight Shirley Knight Hopkins (July 5, 1936 – April 22, 2020) was an American actress who appeared in more than 50 feature films, television films, television series, and Broadway and Off-Broadway productions in her career, playing leading and charac ...

(1936–2020), American actress *

Shirley Kocaçınar Shirley Hubertina Maria Adriana Kocaçınar (born 4 December 1986) is a women's soccer, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football), forward, currently playing for Fortuna Sittard. Born in the Netherlands, she represented Turkey wo ...

(born 1986), Turkish-Dutch footballer *

Shirley Kwan Shirley Kwan, Milo Kwan, Bik Luik Kwan, Kwan Suk'E, or Kwan Suk Yee (, born 15 August 1966) is an influential Cantopop singer from Hong Kong. Kwan first shot to fame in 1989 with the hit, " Happy Are Those in Love" () and was widely popular throu ...

(born 1966), Hong Kong Cantopop singer * Shirley Love (born 1940), American opera singer * Shirley McKague (1935–2020), American politician *

Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...

(born 1934), American actress *

Shirley Mallmann Shirley Patricia Mallmann (born February 15, 1977) is a Brazilian model. She is considered the first Brazilian top model and is best known for her work with Jean Paul Gaultier, who immortalized her silhouette in his first perfume, "Classique" in a ...

(born 1977), Brazilian model *

Shirley Manson Shirley Ann Manson (born 26 August 1966) is a Scottish musician and actress. She is best known as the lead singer of the American alternative rock band Garbage. Manson gained media attention for her forthright style, rebellious attitude, and di ...

(born 1966), Scottish singer, lead vocalist of the rock band

Garbage Garbage, trash, rubbish, or refuse is waste material that is discarded by humans, usually due to a perceived lack of utility. The term generally does not encompass bodily waste products, purely liquid or gaseous wastes, or toxic waste produc ...

Shirley Ardell Mason Shirley Ardell Mason (January 25, 1923 – February 26, 1998) was an American art teacher who was reputed to have dissociative identity disorder (previously known as ''multiple personality disorder''). Her life was purportedly described, with a ...

(1923–1998), American teacher *

Shirley Muldowney Shirley Muldowney (born June 19, 1940), also known professionally as "Cha Cha" and the "First Lady of Drag Racing", is an American auto racer. She was the first woman to receive a license from the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) to drive a T ...

(born 1940), American drag racer, first woman to receive a licence to drive a top fuel dragster by the NHRA *

Shirley Murray Shirley Erena Murray (née Cockroft; 31 March 1931 – 25 January 2020) was a New Zealand hymn lyrics writer. Her hymns have been translated into numerous languages and are represented in more than 140 hymn collections. Biography Born in Inverc ...

(1931–2020), New Zealand hymn writer *

Shirley Phelps-Roper Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper (born October 31, 1957) is an American lawyer and political activist. She was the lead spokesperson of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, an organization that protests against homosexuality conducted under ...

(born 1957), American lawyer and political activist *

Shirley Pitts Shirley Sally Pitts, later Shirley Sally Hawkins (24 November 1934 – 16 March 1992), was an English fraudster and thief known as the "queen of shoplifters". Born into poverty and crime, she began to steal as a child to feed her siblings. She was ...

(1934–1992), English fraudster and thief, the "Queen of shoplifters" * Shirley B. Randleman (born 1950), American politician *

Shirley Rumierk Shirley Rumierk () is an American actress known for her role as Vanessa Suarez in ''Rise'' and as Autumn Cox in ''Manifest''. Early life and education Shirley Rumierk was born and brought up in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, New York City. Rumierk ...

, American actress * Shirley Ann Russell (1935–2002), British costume designer * Shirley Scheier (born 1953), American artist *

Shirley Scott Shirley Scott (March 14, 1934 – March 10, 2002) was an American jazz organist. Her music was noted for its mixture of bebop, blues and gospel elements. She was known by the nickname "Queen of the Organ". Life and career Scott was born in Phi ...

(1934–2002), American hard bop and soul-jazz organist *

Shirley Setia Shirley Setia is a New Zealand singer and actress known for her work in the Cinema of India, Indian film and Music industry of Asia, music industries. Born in Daman, India in the former union territory of Daman and Diu, she immigrated with her f ...

(), New Zealand singer *

Shirley Sherrod Shirley Sherrod (born 1948) is a former Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture. On July 19, 2010, she became a subject of controversy when parts of a speech she gave were publicized by Breitba ...

, United States government employee who was unjustly fired in 2010 * Shirley Adelson Siegel (1918–2020), American lawyer *

Shirley-Anne Somerville Shirley-Anne Somerville (born 2 September 1974) is a Scottish politician who has served as Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills since 2021. A member of the Scottish National Party (SNP), she has been the Member of the Scottish Parliamen ...

(born 1974), British politician *

Shirley Spork Shirley G. Spork (May 14, 1927 – April 12, 2022) was an American professional golfer and one of the founders of the LPGA Tour. Spork finished second at the 1962 LPGA Championship. She worked as a teaching professional for many years and was ...

(1927–2022), American golfer *

Shirley Stelfox Shirley Rosemary Stelfox (11 April 1941 – 7 December 2015) was an English actress, known for her portrayal of the character Edna Birch, a moralising busybody in the ITV soap opera ''Emmerdale'', and as Rose, the vampy sister of the snobby ...

(1941–2015), English actress *

(1928–2014), American actress, singer, dancer, businesswoman and diplomat * Shirley Jane Turner (1961–2003), Canadian-American murderer * Shirley Carew Titus (1892–1967), American nurse educator *

Shirley Walker Shirley Anne Walker (née Rogers; April 10, 1945 – November 30, 2006) was an American film and television composer and conductor. She was one of the few female film score composers working in Hollywood. Walker was one of the first female ...

(1945–2006), American film and television composer *

Shirley A. Walters Shirley Ann Walters (born November 12, 1948) is a Republican former member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from Greenwood in Sebastian County, Arkansas. Born in Lonoke, Arkansas, Walters graduated from Arkansas Tech University in Russe ...

(born 1948), Republican-American business person *

Shirley Williams Shirley Vivian Teresa Brittain Williams, Baroness Williams of Crosby, (' Catlin; 27 July 1930 – 12 April 2021) was a British politician and academic. Originally a Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP), she served in the Labour cabinet from ...

(1930–2021), Baroness Williams of Crosby, English politician and academic *

Shirley Yeung Shirley Yeung Sze-ki (born 7 August 1978), is a Hong Kong actress who was under contract with TVB from 2001 to 2014. Yeung is a Hakka of Jiaoling descent. Career She was the winner of the 2001 Miss Hong Kong Pageant contest. She had been th ...

(born 1978), Hong Kong actress * Shirley Yu, Hong Kong actress * Shirley Zhou (born 1978), Chinese player * Shirley Zussman (1914–2021), American sex therapist

Male

* Shirley Abbott (ambassador) (1923–2013), American businessman, diplomat, and politician * Shirley Abbott (footballer) (1889–1947), English footballer *

Shirley Brooks Charles William Shirley Brooks (29 April 1816 – 23 February 1874) was an English journalist and novelist. Born in London, he began his career in a solicitor's office. Shortly afterwards he took to writing, and contributed to various per ...

(1816–1874), English journalist *

Shirley Burden Shirley Carter Burden (December 9, 1908 – June 3, 1989) was an American photographer, author of picture essays on racism, Catholicism, and history of place. He served on advisory committees of museums, including the Santa Barbara Museum of Art ...

(1908–1989), American photographer *

(1930–1997), English professional wrestler *

Shirley Love (politician) Shirley D. Love (May 15, 1933 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and broadcast journalist who served as a member of both chambers of the West Virginia Legislature. Career Love served as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegat ...

(1933–2020), American politician and broadcaster journalist *

Shirley Povich Shirley Lewis Povich (July 15, 1905 – June 4, 1998) was an American sports columnist and reporter for ''The Washington Post''. Biography Povich's parents were Jewish immigrants from Lithuania. Having grown up in coastal Bar Harbor, Maine ...

(1905–1998), American sports columnist and reporter *

Shirley Leon Quimby Shirley Leon Quimby (August 21, 1893 – May 15, 1986) was an American physicist. He graduated from University of California at Berkeley in 1915 and received his PhD in physics at Columbia University in 1925. He served as a professor at Columbia ...

(1893–1986), American physicist *

Shirley Waldemar Baker Shirley Waldemar Baker (1836 – 16 November 1903) was a Methodist missionary in Tonga. He was the founder of the Free Church of Tonga and enjoyed significant influence during the reign of George Tupou I, who made him prime minister. Early life ...

(1836–1903), English missionary and Prime Minister of Tonga *

Shirley Wilson Shirley Schaub "Red" Wilson (September 26, 1925 – January 8, 2021) was an American football coach. He served as the head football coach at Elon University for 1967 to 1976 and at Duke University from 1979 to 1982, compiling a career college fo ...

(1925–2021), American football coach

Surname

Shirley is a

surname In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

, with pockets of Shirleys living in

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

, and parts of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

. A work on the genealogy of the various branches of the Shirley family was published as ''Stemmata Shirleiana'' by E. P. Shirley in 1841. Their name comes from having lived in the parish of Shirley found in the counties of

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...

and the

West Midlands West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some ...

. *

Anne Shirley (actress) Anne Shirley (born Dawn Evelyn Paris; April 17, 1918 – July 4, 1993) was an American actress. Beginning her career as a child actress under the stage name Dawn O'Day, she adopted the stage name of Anne Shirley, after playing the title characte ...

(1918–1993), American actress born Dawn Evelyeen Paris *

John Shirley John Shirley (born February 10, 1953) is an American writer, primarily of fantasy, science fiction, dark street fiction, westerns, and songwriting. He has also written one historical novel, a western about Wyatt Earp, ''Wyatt in Wichita'', and ...

(born 1953), American author of science-fiction, horror, thrillers, westerns, scripts, non-fiction, and lyrics. *

Bob Shirley Robert Charles Shirley (born June 25, 1954) is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or parts of 11 seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1977 to 1987, for the San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yanke ...

(born 1954), American baseball player *

Craig Shirley Craig Paul Shirley (born September 24, 1956) is a conservative American political consultant and author of the 2011 New York Times bestseller "December 1941", as well as four books on Ronald Reagan. Life and career Youth and education Shirley ...

(born 1956), American author, lecturer, historian and public affairs consultant *

David A. Shirley David Arthur Shirley (March 30, 1934 – March 29, 2021) was an American chemist, best known as the fourth director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory from 1980 to 1989, and for spearheading the funding and creation of the Advanced Ligh ...

(1934–2021), American chemist *

Don Shirley Donald Walbridge Shirley (January 29, 1927 – April 6, 2013) was an American classical and jazz pianist and composer. He recorded many albums for Cadence Records during the 1950s and 1960s, experimenting with jazz with a classical influenc ...

(1927–2013), American-Jamaican jazz pianist and composer *

Drew Shirley Andrew Philip "Drew" Shirley (born April 3, 1974) is an American rock guitarist, formerly of All Together Separate, and of the Grammy Award winning alternative rock band Switchfoot from 2005 until 2022. Career Shirley attended California Bapti ...

(born 1974), American rock guitarist *

James Shirley James Shirley (or Sherley) (September 1596 – October 1666) was an English dramatist. He belonged to the great period of English dramatic literature, but, in Charles Lamb's words, he "claims a place among the worthies of this period, not so m ...

(1596–1666), English dramatist *

Jerry Shirley Jerry Shirley (born 4 February 1952) is an English rock drummer, best known as a member of the band Humble Pie, appearing on all their albums. He is also known for his work with Fastway, Joey Molland from Badfinger, Alexis Korner, Billy Nicholl ...

(born 1952), English rock drummer *

Kellie Shirley Kelly Jane Shirley (born 11 July 1981), known professionally as Kellie Shirley is an English actress who works in film, television, theatre and radio. She hails from Croydon via a large Northern Irish family. She has also co-presented programme ...

(born 1981), English actress *

Kevin Shirley Kevin Shirley (born 29 June 1960), also known as The Caveman, is a South African music producer, engineer and mixer for many artists,Spencer et al, (2007Shirley, Kevinentry. Retrieved 4 February 2010. such as the bands Journey, Iron Maiden, ...

(born 1960), South African music producer *

Paul Shirley Paul Murphy Shirley (born December 23, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for Unicaja Málaga in the Spanish ACB. Shirley is noted for briefly maintaining an online journal (blog) while playing for the ...

(born 1977), American basketball player and writer *

Sewallis Shirley (MP) Sewallis Evelyn Shirley DL, JP (15 July 1844 – 7 March 1904), was a British politician. He is best known as the founder of the Kennel Club in Britain in 1873. Background and education A member of the Shirley family headed by the Earl Fer ...

(1844–1904), British politician and founder of

The Kennel Club The Kennel Club ("KC") is the official kennel club of the United Kingdom. It is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world. Its role is to oversee various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials. It also opera ...

* Simon Shirley (born 1966), Australian decathlete * Steve Shirley (born Vera Stephanie Shirley in 1933), British information technology pioneer, businesswoman and philanthropist *

William Shirley William Shirley (2 December 1694 – 24 March 1771) was a British Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of the British American colonies of Massachusetts Bay and the Bahamas. He is best known for his role in organi ...

(1694–1771), British colonial governor of Massachusetts

Fictional characters

*Anne Shirley, the title character in ''

Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, t ...

'', a 1908 novel by Lucy Maude Montgomery, as well as numerous adaptations **Shirley Blythe, Anne's son, in ''

Anne of Ingleside ''Anne of Ingleside'' is a children's novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery. It was first published in July 1939 by McClelland and Stewart (Toronto) and the Frederick A. Stokes Company (New York). It is the tenth of eleven books that featu ...

'', '' Rainbow Valley'', and ''

Rilla of Ingleside ''Rilla of Ingleside'' (1921) is the eighth of nine books in the '' Anne of Green Gables'' series by Lucy Maud Montgomery, but was the sixth "Anne" novel in publication order. This book draws the focus back onto a single character, Anne and Gilbe ...

'', the sequels to ''

'', all by Lucy Maude Montgomery, as well as adaptations * Miss Shirley Brahms, a fictional character in the British sitcom ''

Are You Being Served? ''Are You Being Served?'' is a British sitcom created and written by executive producer David Croft (Croft also directed some episodes) and Jeremy Lloyd, with contributions from Michael Knowles and John Chapman, for the BBC. Set in London, t ...

'' *

Shirley Carter Shirley Carter is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'', played by Linda Henry. She first appeared on 7 December 2006, during episodes set in Dorset. This is Henry's second role in ''EastEnders'', as she previously played ...

, a fictional character in the British soap opera ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' *Shirley the Loon, in ''

Tiny Toon Adventures ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' is an American animated comedy television series that was broadcast from September 14, 1990, to December 6, 1992. It was the first collaborative effort of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation ...

'' * Shirley Fenette, a character in the anime ''

Code Geass , often referred to simply as ''Code Geass'', is a Japanese anime television series produced by Sunrise. It was directed by Gorō Taniguchi and written by Ichirō Ōkouchi, with original character designs by Clamp. Set ...

'' *Shirley, a.k.a. Charlotte E. Yeager, a character from the mixed-media franchise ''

Strike Witches is a Japanese media mix originally created by Fumikane Shimada via a series of magazine illustration columns. The franchise has since been adapted into several light novel, manga, and anime series and various video games. ...

'' *Shirley, a fictional character in ''

The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour ''The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour'' is a trilogy of crossover television specials between the American animated series ''The Fairly OddParents'' and ''The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Genius'', consisting of ''The Jimmy Timmy Power Hour'', ''The J ...

3'' *Shirley, a hairdresser in the videogame ''

MySims ''MySims'' is a video game developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts as a spin-off to Maxis' ''The Sims'' franchise for the Wii and Nintendo DS in September 2007, re-released for Microsoft Windows in 2008. Overview ...

'' *Shirley Fennes, a character in the videogame ''

Tales of Legendia , is an action role-playing game that was developed and published by Namco for the PlayStation 2 as the seventh main title in their '' Tales'' series. Originally released in Japan in August 2005, it was later made available in English in North A ...

'' *Shirley Feeney, titular character in ''

Laverne & Shirley ''Laverne & Shirley'' (originally ''Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney'') is an American sitcom television series that played for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of ''Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' star ...

'' *Shirley Ghostman,

Marc Wootton Marc James Wootton (born 8 February 1975) is an English actor, comedian and writer, best known for his role as Mr Poppy in the ''Nativity!'' film series. Wootton has also appeared in ''High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman'', ''La La Land'', ''Nig ...

's character in ''

High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman ''High Spirits with Shirley Ghostman'' is a British television comedy show broadcast on BBC Three and featuring character comedian Marc Wootton who plays an effete and slightly vicious medium/psychic. It is narrated by Patrick Stewart, with anim ...

'' *Shirley Keeldar, titular character in the Charlotte Brontë novel ''

'' *Shirley Partridge, the main character in ''

The Partridge Family ''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from Se ...

'' *Shirley Sheridan, a character in the 1934 American romantic musical movie '' The Cat and the Fiddle'' *Shirley, one of the main characters of ''

Shaun the Sheep ''Shaun the Sheep'' is a British stop-motion television series and a spin-off of the ''Wallace and Gromit'' franchise. The title character is Shaun (previously featured as the sheep named "Shaun" in the 1995 short film ''A Close Shave'' and t ...

'' *Shirley, an elderly female bird in ''

The Angry Birds Movie ''The Angry Birds Movie'' (also known simply as ''Angry Birds'') is a 2016 computer-animated comedy film based on Rovio Entertainment's video game series of the same name, produced by Columbia Pictures and Rovio Animation, and distributed by ...

'' *The title character of the ''

Shirley Valentine ''Shirley Valentine'' is a one-character play by Willy Russell. Taking the form of a monologue by a middle-aged, working class Liverpool housewife, it focuses on her life before and after a transforming holiday abroad. Plot Wondering what has ...

'' and its film adaptation

References