Unisex name · since 1910

Sherley

1,238 babies named Sherley in U.S. Social Security records since 1910, with the highest year being 1947. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

#6,477 of 72,339
all-time among girls
1,238
born since 1910
1940s
peak decade

Sherley sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 1,238 recorded since 1910.

Sherley has 1,238 recorded births among girls since 1910, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1940s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1910 to 2023.

  • #6,477 of 72,339 all-time among girls
  • 1,238 born since 1910
  • 1940s peak decade

Data updated Aug 2026

The verdict

According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sherley ranks #6,477 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,238 born since 1910, peaking in the 1940s.

#6,477 of 72,339
all-time among girls
1,238
born since 1910
1940s
peak decade
Above the archive median
All-time archive position

Sherley's 1,238 recorded births place it above 91.04% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.

6 jurisdictions
State-record footprint

6 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by New York.

Sherley's usage pattern, beyond the headline number

Sherley splits its recorded history at 1965: 43% of all births land in the more recent half, 57% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1910 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1947 peak of 30 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.

Sherley popularity over time - girls

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1910–2023

Last recorded 2023
Peak year (1947)
30
Annual births at peak, across 114 years of records
010203040 191019271940195319661981199420072023 7

Sherley popularity over time - boys

264 total births recorded since 1915 (Sherley as boys' name)

Unisex variant - 264 births
05101520 19151919192319271932193619411949 5

Sherley by decade

1940s is the heaviest window (202 births, 16% of the file).

1940s was Sherley's strongest decade.

202 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.

Sherley births by decade

Total births in each ten-year window

births

What this shows Peak: 1940s at 202 births (16% of all-time use).

Source U.S. Social Security Administration · Baby Names As of August 2026

How Sherley compares to similarly-sized names

Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Sherley's total volume

Sherley vs 15 similarly-sized girls names Scatter plot of 16 data points. 0%5%10%15% 020406080100120 New & already peakedOld name, single-era peakNew & still diversifyingLong history, steady all along Years in SSA records % of total births in the single peak year -25, 6.9%-24, 14%-35, 8.4%-38, 6.6%-37, 6.3%-38, 6%-24, 8%-31, 12.4%-39, 4.6%-30, 6.4%-25, 8.1%-32, 6.6%-111, 3.1%-36, 6.6%-30, 5.7%Sherley-114, 2.4%Sherley
Sherley vs 15 similarly-sized girls names

Sherley by state

Where Sherley concentrates geographically, total births since 1910

Geographically diffuse
Top 6 states by recorded births for the name Sherley
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 New York
76 6.1%
#2 Florida
34 2.7%
#3 Mississippi
11 0.9%
#4 Texas
6 0.5%
#5 Arkansas
5 0.4%
#6 New Jersey
5 0.4%
New York share of Sherley's total US births 6.1%
Even split

76 of 1,238 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 6 reporting states.

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Sherley?
1,238 babies have been named Sherley since 1910. All-time, it sits at #6,477 of 72,339 girls' names by recorded births. It was last recorded in 2023. The peak year was 1947 with 30 births.
Where does Sherley sit in the SSA name archive?
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sherley ranks #6,477 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). All-time ordinal matches browse popularity (total births DESC); the current ordinal uses the null SSA file. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
When was Sherley most popular?
Sherley was most popular in the 1940s decade with 202 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Sherley most popular?
The top states for the name Sherley are New York (76 births), Florida (34 births), Mississippi (11 births).
Is Sherley a unisex name?
Yes, Sherley is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 1,238 births, and as a boy's name it has 264 births.
How long has the name Sherley been used?
The SSA has tracked Sherley since 1910 -- 114 years through the most recent 2023 data.
What names are similar to Sherley?
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sheila, Sherry, Shelby, Shelly, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.

What to do with Sherley's data

  • Sherley's decade-level peak was the 1940s (202 total births); usage has since declined to 7 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
  • New York records the most Sherleys (76 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names

Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.

Keep exploring Sherley

Nearby Names Like Sherley

Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sherley

Names with a similar number of total births

Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span

Two nationwide peer axes for Sherley: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.

Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.

Data Sources

Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1910–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).

Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Sherley draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.