Is the Name Shirley Too Old Fashioned?

I love it! My aunt is Shirley. We considered names like Madelyn, Marjorie, Evelyn, etc., so I would definitely say they are coming back. We ended up with Rebecca, and I've even had comments that that's an old fashioned name. I think it will be a unique name, without the poor child having to learn how to spell a difficult name, or have people constantly mispronounce it. Congratulations!

Love it! Classic, but not odd, like say, Gertrude... Nobody else in her class will be named Shirley, and that's what I like most about it :-)

I think it will be very unique.
I don't know of O. real person with that name, so you won't be bothered by duplicates!

C., name your baby what you want without worrying about whether or not it's old fashioned. Your mom was really named Shirley. She meant something and would be honored that you name your baby after her.

Dawn

I know a few Shirley's. They are all older black women. It is definitely an old fashioned name.

With that said, there is NOTHING wrong with it :). You name your baby what you want to and the name will certainly fit her!! I think it's very sweet why you want to give her that name.

Oh, and it's better than a made-up name that you so often see!!

aaawww that's a great name!! what a great tribute to her!!!

I think of Shirley Temple and the cute curls :) If you like the name, go for it! It's a great way to honor your mom and the next generation of your family. My daughter has an 'old fashioned' name as well. People always comment favorably on it.

Go for it. It's a normal name (not like you are naming her Blue or something), so who cares if it's old fashioned. Besides, I noticed that what is old-fashioned and what is modern changes quite quickly. When we picked our daughter's name, Emily, it was at the bottom of the list for popularity. We chose it 2 years before she was born. By the time she was born, it was the number 1 name on the list. The same thing happened with our son Jackson.

Also, my grandmother's name was Lila which I thought was very old-fashioned, and I have recently heard of several babies named Lila.

Congrats!
I like it!
I love the significance of it!
HTH! :)

Love it! Definitely run with that name. It's pretty.

I think it is pretty. I love simple, classic names.

I know a young woman named Martha and at first I thought, "That's an old name I haven't heard in a while" but once I got to know her, I realized it's a just a traditional name that fits her and it's not like her mom named her Asparagus or whatever the celebs are doing these days.

I say if you want to name her after your mom, go ahead. She may get a little teasing about "surely" but teach her to be good natured about it. Honor your mom. I think that's a wonderful tribute to her memory.

I like it as a middle name. Some older names are back in style, like Betty, Evelyn, Charlotte, amelia, Ava, Emma, Frances, Greta, Helen/Helene, Jayne/Jane, Madeline, Nora.

I love charlotte but betty makes me think of the flinestones. I think it would be lovely to name her after your mama. Personally, I think of a older person when I hear shirley, I just can't picture a baby. How about charlotte Marie?
Good luck!

My grandma...who is 85...is named Shirley. Could you make it a middle name? That's what we did to honor my Aunt and my husband's dad.
L.

Who cares if it's an old-fashioned name? It's a name with an honorable family history, one that you can share with your daughter and that she can wear proudly. It's not a weird name that will cause people to look at you funny, it's easy to spell and to pronounce, and the chances of there being three other kids in her kindergarten class with the same name is remote. If she does go through a phase when she decides that she's not keen on it for everyday use, she can always fall back on Marie for awhile.

I have no problems with Shirley. All of the women I have known with that name have been wonderful women. :) We had a similar situation- my beloved grandmother's name was Magdalene. Instead of using that name, which we thought was a little dated, we settled for a direct variant- Madeline. Have you looked at some of the variants? I used to know someone named Shirlynn. I thought it was pretty.

Love it! A "classic" that's not become popular yet!

I think it's cute, and a great way to honor your Mother!

My sister just named her baby Loretta after our grandmother. She has received SO many compliments about how lovely old fashioned names are and how special to have her named for this person. I say go for it, you can't go wrong naming her after your mom.

LIVE IT but just so you know there's a sheep named "Big Shirley" in the 'Shaun the Sheep' cartoon. One of THE most adorable shows EVER!

I think it's a cute name. I went to school with two Shirley's who are now in their 20's. Congrats!

Shirley Marie is adorable! Yes it's old fashioned, but who cares if it's in style or not? I prefer to name my kids after family also. So much more special. I met a Shirley who is in her 30s, so the name isn't just for the geriatric! And if she decides she doesn't love it as she gets older, she can go by Lee (nickname from 2nd syllable) or Marie.

yes-but I had two Aunties with the name-whom I loved!

You could update with Shelley or Charlie??

I think that Shirlry is a lovely name! It doesn't sound old fashioned in a bad way, it's charming. There is a novel by Charlotte Bronte called Shirley, I really liked it as a teenager. Best wishes to you and your new little one, Shirley Marie is a very sweet name!

Yes, it's too old fashioned. Betty isn't in style either. Those go along with Gertrude and Agatha. Charlotte, yes, in style along with other old favorites like Amelia and Lilah. Did your mom have a middle name? You could go along with the Jewish tradition (even if you're not) of choosing a name with the same first initial.

It's your baby, so you do what you feel.... I personally, don't like the name, but your doing it for a meaningful reason :)

It is a beautiful name. I truely love it. Just perfect.

HI C.,

Shirley was my mama's name too....I love it and always have. Names get prettier the sweeter the owner! Shirley Marie is beautiful and she'll feel honored to have her grandma's name!

God bless,
M.

I like old-fashioned names. If YOU like Shirley, that's the only thing that really matters.

I love old fashioned names, they are definitely coming back in style. I think Shirley Marie sounds adorable. I know a Shirley who is in her 30s.

No. I am fond of using family names. If I were to have a girl one day, I already know that her name will be Rebecca Frances. Rebecca is my mother's name, and Frances is my husband's fathers name.
I have a son and his name is Sidney Ray. Sidney was my husband's grandfathers name, and Ray was my grandfathers name. I think Shirley Marie is a sweet name, and a wonderful way to honor your mother.

Sure you can use it! all the "old fashioned" names are coming back , I know Priscillas, Eleanors, Emmas, Janes, right now Shirley sounds unique, but you never know it could become popular any minute....

I think it sounds really lovely. Also put it this way, there won't be another 5 kids in her class with the same name, which in my book is always a good thing. :-) My dd's name is old fashioned and we have only heard of 1 other girl at her school with it who is 4 yrs younger.

If you want to honor your mom, you should do it whether the name is old fashioned or not. Who knows, maybe it will come back in style someday. My great grandmother was named Sophie and look how popular that has become!

To answer your specific question, I think the only Shirley I have ever met is now in her 60's.

Do what you need to do to honor your mom.