Shirley
Replies
Never cared for it. To me, Shirley is always going to be seen as being dated and not in a charming sort of way. I don't see it making a comeback anytime soon, at least not monumentally.
Between how dated it is and the fact that my sister-in-law's name is Shirley, and she's a loud, brash person, it's hard for me to judge it objectively. I'm still trying. That's all I can say for the moment.
I love it, and I would love to see a new wave of Shirleys.
One of my friends had a daughter back in January and actually named her Shirley, after her grandmother... and, honestly, that's who I picture when I hear the name Shirley. It's super dated. Aside from that baby all the Shirleys I know are 60+. Until the baby I'd never met yet a young Shirley. It feels very old, very old fashioned, and I really don't know that it will get a comeback any time soon. Maybe once the current generation of Shirleys have passed on and the name has been 'dead' for a little while it may have a chance but that'd be like 50 years from now.
I also don't hear it in the same style as Ashley, Bailey, etc A similar ending doesn't make it the same. Those names you listed are all very youthful.
I also don't hear it in the same style as Ashley, Bailey, etc A similar ending doesn't make it the same. Those names you listed are all very youthful.
I like it because it hasn't been used for a long time! It is genuinely pretty, and I think it's far enough in the past to be used without too much fuss. I'd be more likely to use it for a cat, preferably with long fur, but that's just me.
No
No
That one's a hard NO for me.
That one's a hard NO for me.
It might have an outside chance.
I think it's kind of cute, in a grandma way.
I think it's kind of cute, in a grandma way.
Yes: in the book it's stated to be a male name that needs some explaining when used on a female! Conversely, in the later LM Montgomery "Anne" books, Anne and Gilbert's youngest son gets named Shirley, that being his mother's maiden name.