Shirley Family History

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Shirley Name Meaning

English: habitational name from any of various places, for example in Derbyshire, Hampshire, Surrey, and the West Midlands, all so called from Old English scir ‘bright’ + leah ‘wood’, ‘clearing’.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names ©2013, Oxford University Press


Similar surnames: Shipley, Shelley, Harley, Thorley, Hurley, Chipley, Sharpley, Smitley

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Shirley Family Origin

Where is the Shirley family from?

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You can see how Shirley families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shirley family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shirley families were found in the USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 485 Shirley families living in London. This was about 20% of all the recorded Shirley's in the UK. London had the highest population of Shirley families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shirley surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.

View Census Data for Shirley

Shirley Family Occupations

What did your Shirley ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the UK named Shirley. 9% of Shirley men worked as a General Labourer and 70% of Shirley women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shirley were Incapacitated and Domestic Duties

View Census data for Shirley | Data not to scale

Top Male Occupations in 1939

  • General Labourer
    9%
  • Builders Labourer
    6%
  • Bricklayer
    5%
  • Incapacitated
    4%

Top Female Occupations in 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    70%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%
  • Domestic Duties
    2%

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Shirley Historical Records

What Shirley family records will you find?

Census Record

There are 213,000 census records available for the last name Shirley. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shirley census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Shirley

Passenger List

There are 13,000 immigration records available for the last name Shirley. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Shirley immigration records

Draft Card

There are 33,000 military records available for the last name Shirley. For the veterans among your Shirley ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Shirley military records

You've only scratched the surface of Shirley family history.

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Shirley Life Expectancy

What is the average Shirley lifespan?

Between 1942 and 2004, in the United States, Shirley life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2001. The average life expectancy for Shirley in 1942 was 51, and 72 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shirley

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Shirley ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

Famous Shirley Family Ancestors

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