Girls' name · since 1923
Shirlene
4,856 babies named Shirlene in U.S. Social Security records since 1923, with the highest year being 1956. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #2,630 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 4,856
- born since 1923
- 1950s
- peak decade
Shirlene is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 4,856 have been recorded since 1923.
Social Security Administration records show Shirlene recorded 4,856 times among girls since 1923, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1923 to 2010.
- #2,630 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 4,856 born since 1923
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shirlene ranks #2,630 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 4,856 born since 1923, peaking in the 1950s.
- #2,630 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 4,856
- born since 1923
- 1950s
- peak decade
Shirlene's 4,856 recorded births place it above 96.36% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
30 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Texas.
Shirlene's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Shirlene's full recorded timeline at 1964, 23% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 77% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1990, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1956 peak of 159 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Shirlene popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1923–2010
- Peak year (1956)
- 159
- Annual births at peak, across 88 years of records
Shirlene by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (1,356 births, 28% of the file).
1950s was Shirlene's strongest decade.
1,356 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Shirlene births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 75
1920s
75 births
- 1930s
1930s
818 births
- 1940s
1940s
1,022 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,356 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,039 births
- 1970s 301
1970s
301 births
- 1980s 146
1980s
146 births
- 1990s 67
1990s
67 births
- 2000s 27
2000s
27 births
- 2010s 5
2010s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 1,356 births (28% of all-time use).
How Shirlene 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 Shirlene's total volume
Shirlene by state
Where Shirlene concentrates geographically, total births since 1923
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 260 | 5.4% |
| #2 | California | | 211 | 4.3% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 210 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 208 | 4.3% |
| #5 | Utah | | 203 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Kentucky | | 138 | 2.8% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 137 | 2.8% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 106 | 2.2% |
260 of 4,856 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 30 reporting states.
Shirlene appears in 30 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shirlene? ▼
Where does Shirlene sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Shirlene most popular? ▼
Where is Shirlene most popular? ▼
How long has the name Shirlene been used? ▼
What names are similar to Shirlene? ▼
What to do with Shirlene's data
- Shirlene's decade-level peak was the 1950s (1,356 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 2010s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Shirlenes (260 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Shirlene
Nearby Names Like Shirlene
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shirlene
Compare Shirlene side by side: Shirlene vs Shirley Shirlene vs Shiloh Shirlene vs Shira
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Shirlene: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1956)
Similar record span (~87 yrs)
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, 1923–2010 (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 Shirlene 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.