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I find it dated, but not to the 20s, the Shirleys I know are 40 to 50 years old. Also, Shirley is a region of the town where I live. It doesn't have the best reputation, so that puts me off more than the datedness or the sound.

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Also it makes me think of the scenes from the film 'Airplane' which went something like this:
"Surely you can't be serious?!"
"I am serious... and stop calling me Shirley!"

My 18 year old cousin's name is Shirley, and I know about 3 Shirley's in high school (one's in my class). Shirley seems to be very popular among Asian-Australians (well, my cousin's Canadian, but you know what I mean). Personally I find it a bit dated and I don't really like the sound. My own name is dated though, so I feel a bit hypocritical dismissing a name for that reason (because I happen to like my name), so I suppose it is usable.

dated doesn't bother me especially when it is an older name. I know a 9 year old named Lois and meeting her made the name really stand out. Now, I don't even think of it as dated.

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slightly off topic but I really like Beulah

I hope not.

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I have a bad association with this name. My father married a woman named Shirley years ago, and she wasn't a good person. The name makes me cringe.

My sister-in-law, who is fifty-nine years old, is named Shirley. As long as I know a living person with a dated name, I don't ever think of the name as ready for a comeback.

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For some reason, I want to say that my sister-in-law has ruined the name for me. She's not a bad person. She's physically attractive, she's well-meaning, she was a very good mother and a hard worker. But also, loud and tactless and has a high, shrill voice and a funny Philadelphia accent and my sisters and I used to make fun of her.

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I'm trying to disassociate the name from my sister-in-law...I just can't do it! I can't judge Shirley objectively.

I think it's kind of cute, really, though not nearly cute enough for me to ever say it's a favorite. I think it has some comeback potential because, unlike Mildred or Beulah, it has the trendy lee ending, was originally a surname, and also it has a softer, less harsh sound than a lot of names of that vintage.

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But it will be a while yet, as Shirley was popular longer than Mildred was. There were still plenty of Shirleys being born up into the sixties.

You can't be serious.

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Heehee, that's all I think of when I hear Shirley. :)

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I don't think it feels as old-fashioned and dated as names like Mildred and Beulah. I'd group it more with stuff like Carol and Barbara. It does have a pleasant, cheerful sound, and I like the Anne Shirley association. I don't think it would make a comeback really soon, but maybe in another few decades who knows.

This message was edited 6/23/2012, 8:31 AM