Chinese name for Shirley
Shirley in Chinese at a glance
- Meaning
- 'bright meadow'
- Origin
- Old English
- English pronunciation
- SHUR-lee
- Used for
- girls
Capitals mark the stressed syllable.
How Shirley sounds to native English speakers
- Peak popularity
- Around the 1930s
- Today
- Dated, more common among older people
- Feels
- sweetvintage
- At work
- Fine
A general impression based mostly on US and UK naming trends, not a statistic; feelings vary by place and age.
Shirley is usually transliterated into Chinese as 雪莉 (xuě lì). That's a sound-for-sound rendering — great for subtitles, not quite a name a Chinese family would choose. Below are real Chinese names that echo the sound of Shirley, each with a surname and a meaningful given name.
Does Shirley suit you? →Type your Chinese name to check how it flows with your surname, or find a better fitShirley
薛丽妍
xuē lì yán
- 丽 lì — beautiful
- 妍 yán — beautiful
9 Chinese names that sound like Shirley
Each character was picked for sound first, then meaning; tones and unlucky homophones were checked.
薛俐菲
xuē lì fēi
- 俐 lì · Fire — clever
- 菲 fēi · Wood — fragrant
surname: 薛
Make a name card with this →薛莉宁
xuē lì níng
- 莉 lì · Wood — jasmine
- 宁 níng · Fire — peaceful
surname: 薛
Make a name card with this →薛黎悦
xuē lí yuè
- 黎 lí · Fire — dawn
- 悦 yuè · Metal — joy
surname: 薛
Make a name card with this →薛篱雅
xuē lí yǎ
- 篱 lí · Wood — fence; pastoral
- 雅 yǎ · Wood — elegant
surname: 薛
Make a name card with this →薛琳怡
xuē lín yí
- 琳 lín · Wood — beautiful jade
- 怡 yí · Earth — cheerful, pleasant
surname: 薛
Make a name card with this →谢绫
xiè líng
- 绫 líng · Wood — silk
Same sound, other characters: 谢铃 (铃 bell)
surname: 谢
Make a name card with this →薛凌
xuē líng
- 凌 líng · Water — soaring ambition
surname: 薛
Make a name card with this →
Also see these names
What does Shirley mean?
Shirley comes from Old English and means 'bright meadow'.
How do you write Shirley in Chinese?
The standard Chinese transliteration is 雪莉, read xuě lì.
How do you pronounce Shirley?
In English it's said SHUR-lee (the capital letters are the stressed syllable).
Is a transliteration the same as a Chinese name?
Not quite. A transliteration copies sounds and is used for foreign names in news and subtitles. A Chinese name follows Chinese naming customs: a common surname plus one or two characters chosen for meaning and sound.
Can I use these names?
Yes — they're suggestions for fun and inspiration. Say them aloud, ask a Chinese-speaking friend, and pick what feels like you.
Is Shirley a good English name?
Shirley peaked around the 1930s and today it's dated, more common among older people. It feels sweet, vintage; at work: fine.
For entertainment and inspiration. Character meanings follow common dictionaries; naming customs vary.