How Many People Are Named Michael Shirley?

There are approximately 345 people named Michael Shirley living in the United States today. That makes this name combination uncommon, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 993,491 Americans.

This estimate combines SSA birth records for the first name Michael with Census Bureau frequency data for the surname Shirley. Below you will find a breakdown of both names, including popularity trends, gender data, and ancestry information.

Estimated People with This Name

345

1 in 993,491 Americans

Combination Rarity

Uncommon

Very Rare Very Common

Michael: Popularity Over Time

Year-by-year SSA birth registrations for the first name Michael. The peak year was 1957 with 93,041 births. The average person named Michael today is 50 years old.

Male
Female
0 19K 37K 56K 74K 93K 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020

Ancestry of the Shirley Surname

Self-reported race and ethnicity breakdown for people with the surname Shirley, from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau.

White
82.63%
Black
9.10%
Hispanic
2.23%
Asian/Pacific Islander
0.62%
American Indian/Alaska Native
3.33%
Two or More Races
2.08%

How we calculated this

The first name "Michael" has an estimated frequency of 1.09% among living Americans, based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024 adjusted for mortality using CDC 2023 life tables.

The surname "Shirley" appears at a rate of 9.23 per 100,000 people in the 2010 U.S. Census.

Multiplying these frequencies against the U.S. population of ~343 million gives 345 estimated people. This assumes first names and last names are statistically independent. Full methodology.

Other people with the surname Shirley

Michael Shirley: Questions and Answers

How many people are named Michael Shirley?

We estimate approximately 345 people named Michael Shirley are alive in the United States today. The first name Michael is shared by 3,738,917 Americans, and the surname Shirley is shared by 31,003.

How rare is the name Michael Shirley?

This name combination is classified as Uncommon, occurring at a rate of about 1 in 993,491 Americans. The first name Michael is very common and the surname Shirley is uncommon.

Is Michael a male or female name?

Michael is predominantly male, with 99.5% of bearers being male and 0.5% female. It peaked in popularity in 1957 and the average bearer today is 50 years old.

Where does this data come from?

First name data comes from the Social Security Administration (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables. Surname data comes from the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau. Full methodology.

How Many of Me
howmanyofme.org

There are 345 people with the name

Michael Shirley

in the United States

How many have your name?

Share this result

Try another name