SHIRLEY
GENDER: Feminine & Masculine
USAGE: English
PRONOUNCED: SHUR-lee [key]
Meaning & History
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 Bronte's semi-autobiographical novel 'Shirley' (1849). The child actress Shirley Temple (1928-) helped to popularize this name.