Total births
4,856
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.
- 4,856
- total births
- 1923–2010
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that 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.
- 4,856 total births
- 1923–2010 years on record
- 1950s peak decade
- 28% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
4,856 girls have been named Shirlene since 1923, peaking in the 1950s, last recorded in 2010.
- 4,856
- total births
- 1923–2010
- years on record
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 28%
- born in that decade
1950s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Shirlene was born in this single decade.
1956
Single peak year
159 babies were named Shirlene in 1956 - its busiest year on record.
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 at a glance
Last recorded 2010Peak year
1956
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1923
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
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
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 vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
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% |
Texas share of Shirlene's total US births 5.4%
Even split
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? ▼
Shirlene has been given to 4,856 babies in the U.S. since 1923, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2010. 159 babies were born in 1956, its single highest year.
When was Shirlene most popular? ▼
Shirlene was most popular in the 1950s decade with 1,356 total births. The single peak year was 1956.
Where is Shirlene most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shirlene are Texas (260 births), California (211 births), North Carolina (210 births).
How long has the name Shirlene been used? ▼
Shirlene has been recorded in Social Security data since 1923, spanning 88 years of data through 2010.
What names are similar to Shirlene? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shirley, Shiloh, Shira, Shirlee, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
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
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare 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
Shirley Girl
#1452 686,383 births
Shiloh Girl
#260 15,117 births
Shira Girl
#2334 5,815 births
Shirlee Girl
#15433 5,709 births
Shiela Girl
4,408 births
Compare Shirlene side by side: Shirlene vs Shirley Shirlene vs Shiloh Shirlene vs Shira
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of June 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).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shirlene: Baby Name Since 1923 - 4,856 Births, Peak 1956." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shirlene. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 June 2026.