Home › Baby Names Directory › Shirlean
Shirlean
How to Pronounce Shirlean
Pronounced shur-LEEN /ʃɜrˈlin/Medium
Meaning: Shirlean stretches Shirley, an Old English surname from scir leah, 'bright meadow' or 'bright clearing', with the fashionable -lean/-lene ending. Shirley became a hugely popular girl's name after Shirley Temple, and Shirlean is a rarer spin on it.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Shirlean is an elaboration of Shirley, from Old English scir leah, 'bright meadow', reshaped with the popular -lean or -lene ending. Shirley soared thanks to child star Shirley Temple, and rarer variants like Shirlean followed in her wake. It appears in United States records from the late nineteen-thirties and reached its slim high around 1960.
It was never common, given to only a couple dozen girls a year at its peak, so a Shirlean from that time would be in her sixties now. Tightly bound to the Shirley craze, it reads as a period piece and has not revived.
Variations
Nicknames
Famous Bearers
- Famous bearers coming soon.
If you like Shirlean…
Explore names like Shirlean
Frequently Asked
What does the name Shirlean mean?
It is an elaboration of Shirley, from Old English for 'bright meadow', with a -lean ending.
How do you pronounce Shirlean?
It's said shur-LEEN /ʃɜrˈlin/, two syllables stressed on the second.
Is Shirlean a boy or girl name?
Shirlean is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Shirlean?
It has always been rare, given to only a couple dozen girls a year around its high around nineteen-sixty.