Beverley vs Shirley
Beverley 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.
New Zealand · Girls
In 1963, Beverley was ranked #100 and Shirley #73 among girls in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 1960, Beverley was ranked #84 and Shirley #98 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1995, Beverley was ranked #516 and Shirley #352 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Beverley was ranked #3705 and Shirley #4201 among girls in England and Wales.
Beverley and Shirley over time
Beverley and Shirley appear together in 4 published lists, across 62 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Beverley reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Shirley in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
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.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Beverley and Shirley changed places 10 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2025, ending at #3705 and #4201.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls23 shared years, 1996–2025
Beverley held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Shirley in 9.
Highest recorded here: Beverley #848 in 1996, Shirley #1107 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Beverley #3705, Shirley #4201.
Republic of Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1966–1995
Beverley held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Shirley in 21.
Highest recorded here: Beverley #253 in 1967, Shirley #64 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1995: Beverley #516, Shirley #352.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls9 shared years, 1952–1960
Beverley held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Shirley in 1.
Highest recorded here: Beverley #42 in 1952, Shirley #48 in 1952.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1960: Beverley #84, Shirley #98.
New Zealand · Girls9 shared years, 1954–1963
Beverley held the stronger position in 1 of those years, Shirley in 8.
Highest recorded here: Beverley #40 in 1955, Shirley #30 in 1957.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1963: Beverley #100, Shirley #73.
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 | Beverley | 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 | Not yet recorded | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #3705 (2025) | England and Wales · Girls #4201 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 82/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Beverley has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Shirley.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Beverley
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #42 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 recorded1954–1963
Highest recorded position: #40 among girls in New Zealand, in 1955 (recorded 1954–1963).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3705 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