Audrey vs Shirley
Audrey and Shirleycompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Audrey was ranked #312 and Shirley #4201 among girls in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Audrey was ranked #856 and Shirley #856 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Audrey and Shirley over time
Audrey and Shirley appear together in 2 published lists, across 67 years of shared records. Audrey held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Shirley in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Longest-running competitions
Audrey and Shirley were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 38 years, from 1964 to 2023, ending at #856 and #856.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls38 shared years, 1964–2023
Audrey held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Shirley in 0.
Highest recorded here: Audrey #44 in 1967, Shirley #64 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Audrey #856, Shirley #856.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2025
Audrey held the stronger position in 24 of those years, Shirley in 5.
Highest recorded here: Audrey #294 in 2019, Shirley #1107 in 2001.
The order changed in 2002: Audrey moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #1170 and #1107; by 2002 that had become #1372 and #1928.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Audrey #312, Shirley #4201.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Audrey | Shirley |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | ||
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #34 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4201 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Audrey and Shirley both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Audrey
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #85 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2008–2025
Highest recorded position: #19 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2021 (recorded 2008–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #312 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Shirley
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #48 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1964
Highest recorded position: #30 among girls in New Zealand, in 1957 (recorded 1954–1964).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4201 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls