Explore the Family Name Shirley
The meaning of Shirley
English: habitational name from any of the places so named, such as Shirley (Warwickshire), Shirley in Millbrook (Hampshire), Shirley (Surrey), Shirley in Owston (Yorkshire), and Shirley (Derbyshire). The placenames probably derive from Old English scīr ‘bright’ + lēah ‘woodland clearing’, though some may have scīr ‘district, shire’ as the initial element if they lie on a boundary; for example, the Warwickshire place lies on the Warwickshire-Worcestershire boundary. The name Shirley first appears in Ireland in the late 17th century, following the granting of lands to a Shirley family in the barony of Farney, Monaghan. History: William Shirley (1694–1771) was born in Sussex, England, and came to MA in 1731. He rose in the colonial service, was appointed governor in 1741, and was responsible for the British capture of the French fortress of Louisbourg, Cape Breton Island, in 1745.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Shirley in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Shirley' has experienced a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 'Shirley' was ranked 1176 in terms of popularity amongst surnames in the United States, but by 2010 it had dropped to 1292, marking a decrease of nearly 10%. The overall count of people with this surname also slightly decreased from 27300 to 27224 during the same period. Thus, the proportion per 100,000 people of the surname 'Shirley' fell from 10.12 to 9.23.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,176 | #1,292 | -9.86% |
| Count | 27,300 | 27,224 | -0.28% |
| Proportion per 100k | 10.12 | 9.23 | -8.79% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Shirley
The ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Shirley' saw interesting shifts between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. Although the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White (82.63% in 2010), there was a slight decrease in this percentage from 84.69% in 2000. In contrast, Hispanic representation among those with the surname increased by over 50%, rising from 1.48% in 2000 to 2.23% in 2010. Furthermore, individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and those reporting two or more races also saw significant increases, with growth rates of 31.91% and 33.33% respectively. Meanwhile, representation among Black and American Indian/Alaskan Native populations remained relatively stable with modest increases of 5.45% and 5.05% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.69% | 82.63% | -2.43% |
| Black | 8.63% | 9.1% | 5.45% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 3.17% | 3.33% | 5.05% |
| Hispanic | 1.48% | 2.23% | 50.68% |
| Two or More Races | 1.56% | 2.08% | 33.33% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.47% | 0.62% | 31.91% |
Shirley ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Shirley is British & Irish, which comprises 58.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (21.2%) and Scandinavian (4.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Nigerian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 58.3% |
| French & German | 21.2% |
| Scandinavian | 4.1% |
| Other | 16.4% |
Possible origins of the surname Shirley
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Shirley have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 89.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 89.90% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.90% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.90% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.90% |
What Shirley haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Shirley is E-M123, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-M123 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Burnham, Hahn, Elson, Kilmer, Schafer, Binder, Muller, Schreiber, Miller, Smith.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Shirley surname are: H1, H3, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to many Jewish populations
Although haplogroup E-M123 is common throughout the Middle East, especially among populations such as the Bedouin, Omanis and Druze, it appears particularly frequently in Jewish populations. The lineage averages 10% among both Ashkenazim from eastern Europe and Sephardic Jews from Iberia. About 15% of Ethiopian Jews also carry the haplogroup, although they may be more closely related to other Ethiopians than to other Jewish populations bearing E-M123. Jews from Yemen carry E-M123 at levels of about 10%, and about 20% of Libyan Jewish men belong to the haplogroup. Given the clearly elevated frequency in all Jewish populations, E-M123 was very likely present in the ancestral Jewish population from the Levant that dispersed throughout the Old World about 2,000 years ago.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Shirley have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Shirley" Surname 44.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Shirley" Surname 29.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Shirley" Surname 23.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Shirley" Surname 19.8%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Shirley?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Shirley are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition