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Probably it does have hipster appeal, but I think it's ugly and not in a way that I like.
It's like the 30s version of Courtney, Ainsley, Paisley. I guess it's also like Beverley, which I hate.

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It's not the style in general I dislike, just Shirley. Laverne and Sheila by contrast are likable. I don't mind names like Waverly or Early either.
It's not because of associations: my main one is a great aunt who I have nothing against, just never liked saying her name.

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Twyla Shirley
Christobel Shirley
Luella Shirley
Amadea Shirley
Prunella Shirley
Gardenia Shirley
Willow Shirley

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Shirley Desta
Shirley Monique
Shirley Drusilla
Shirley Prisca
Shirley Lotus
Shirley Agnes
Shirley Cleopatra

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I think maybe there's something sickly sweet seeming about it.
Maybe I should pair it with other names I dislike - Shirley Pamela ...yeah, I dislike those together less than I dislike them apart.
Shirley Harper
Shirley Fallon

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This message was edited 2/22/2021, 11:00 PM

It's dated all right, but I like it ok. Sheila is similar and I like that more

At first I think - of course it has hipster appeal, it's an obvious unisex surname name ending in ley.
It's maybe just the first Hollywood megahit in a long line leading to Ashley, Piper, Reese, etc.
I'm sure it sounded as "too rough and masculine" to many people in 1920, as Mackenzie did to many people in 1995.
But later, it just seems like an antiquated all-girl-name and we think of images of Shirley Temple (always as a child of course) and we've got lifetimes of meeting women named with SH-RL- names and surnames. I totally see what you mean about how Shirley could seem cool.

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If I were going for the optimal antique Shirley image, I'd go full on and name her Shirley Jean.
If I were naming an actual daughter and had to use Shirley as her first name: how about Shirley Emerald or Shirley Valentina. Shirley Andromeda even.
If it could be a middle name: maybe Magdalena ("Maggie") Shirley or Jacqueline ("Jackie") Shirley

This message was edited 2/22/2021, 12:09 PM

Evelyn

It's Shirley's time to shine!

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I think Shirley's going to come back. It arguably epitomizes retro style. Plus, Shirl is killer! It makes me think of a bubblegum crack (sonically).

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Shirley Aino
Shirley Alberte
Shirley Amanda
Shirley Ange
Shirley Angeline
Shirley Angharad
Shirley Anwen
Shirley Aude
Shirley Aurora / Aurore
Shirley Bettina / Bettine
Shirley Bronwen
Shirley Carme
Shirley Cecilia
Shirley Ceridwen
Shirley Coco
Shirley Delphine
Shirley Dido
Shirley Estelle
Shirley Frederica
Shirley Freja / Freya
Shirley Geneva
Shirley Io
Shirley Iris
Shirley Katia / Katja

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This message was edited 2/22/2021, 10:27 AM

When I was a toddler, my mother had a friend with a Shirley daughter. I remember liking the name, and wishing that I could have a baby sister like Shirley! Then they moved away, and my thoughts about the name moved with them. Now, I could easily see myself naming a very fluffy cat Shirley. For some reason, that seems to work.

Shirley to me is of the way of Ethel, Edith, Agnes and Helen. They still have a certain class to them they just haven't made their way back around to being "in" again yet. Perhaps because they still aren't "old" enough yet. I read somewhere online that 1 theory is that trends follow a great grandparent rule where say you may name a child a great grandparent name like Emma, Florence, William and Henry, which were all top ten names in the 1880s, but not a grandparent name like Donald, Frank, Dorothy and Mildred, which were in the top 10 in the 1920s, because they just aren't "old enough yet" we still associate it with the elderly people of today. I'll place my bets that Shirley, and the like will make a comeback when the babies and children of today are having babies 15-25 years from now. So while we may turn our noses to it we may well have grandchildren named these someday. I personally think Shirley has an interesting aesthetic and though I wouldn't use it, still smile at the idea of having a little granddaughter Shirley someday. I am in college for social work myself and it seems like every single fake case we read about is a "Shirley" in the old textbooks so I reflect on it sometimes. Mostly what comes to mind for me is Shirley Temple the child actress. Her middle name was Jane. I also think Shirley Anne, Shirley Kaye, Shirley Leanne, and Shirley Irene would be interesting sets.

This message was edited 2/22/2021, 8:13 AM

You can't be serious. (:-P)

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I know Shirley Temple was a huge star back in the day. I know it was a perfectly usable name for decades. Heck, my own step-grandma is named Shirley Jean!

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But I cannot hear this name without thinking of Airplane!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_XuPXGMpLA

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It is physically impossible.

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If any movie can be accused of ruining a name, Airplane! ruined Shirley.

It's a no for me...

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I have several in my family. It's very much the name of a woman of a certain age. And not ready for a comeback in my mind. It has a heaviness about it and I'm just not the biggest fan of -ley names on women anyway. I also tend not to love names that started out masculine but became feminine. Even when I don't initially know that to be the case, I find it to be true for me.

This message was edited 2/22/2021, 6:48 AM

It's nice and I'm sure it will make a major comeback in 20-40 years. I dislike Shirl.

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It is one of those -ey names and some are always popular at some point. I think they will all come back ultimately. -ey names will always be in fashion. In the 80s we had Ashley and Lindsay, in the 90s Courtney and Kelsey, now Kinsley and Ainsley. In 2050 or so it might as well be Shirley again. Sh-names (Shannon, Sharon etc.) are so out of style right now they will definitely come back at some point. People are taking a rest now but in 20 years all of those short names ending in -a will be unfashionable (Ava, Ella, Emma, Luna) and people will turn to different sounds.

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Right now it is too early for a comeback.

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Shirley Caroline
Shirley Rosaline
Shirley Emmeline
Shirley Aveline
Shirley Francesca
Shirley Amaia
Shirley Genevieve

I see potential in Shirley as a name, I wonder if it will circle back around the way Lily, Hazel, Ava, etc have, you know, when the generation having kids have no memory of "old" Shirleys, just as I didn't know any old Lilys but my parents did.

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As a MN, maybe a soft combo like:

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Amalia Shirley
Autumn Shirley
Willow Shirley

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But if it Shirley was first, I'd wanna spice it up:

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Shirley Alix
Shirley Azalea
Shirley Rio

Lauren Shirley. I like how this combo flows. Others I think sound good with Shirley in the middle:

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Miranda
Megan
Regan
Piper
Harper
Reina/Raina
Cadence
Leah

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And Shirley as a first name:

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Shirley Jane
Shirley Grace
Shirley Nicole
Shirley Claire
Shirley Odile
Shirley Frances
Shirley Angeline

Amy Amelia Ava Chantal Charlotte Eliza Genevieve Vivienne Juliet Josephine Lauren Laura Matilda Phoebe Susannah Tessa Vanessa Cassandra Miranda