Shirlene

Meaning of Shirlene

Shirlene, pronounced shur-LEEN (/ʃərˈliːn/) in both British and American English, is a feminine appellation sculpted from the Old English Shirley—literally “bright meadow”—and the euphonic –lene suffix often associated with Irish and Latinate traditions, producing a name whose very phonemic contour suggests a meadow bathed in dawn’s first light. From 1940 through 1969 in North Carolina, Shirlene wove itself through annual birth registers with measured persistence, oscillating between the 150th and 180th ranks and cresting modestly in 1964 with thirteen recorded occurrences—a statistical lullaby that speaks to its discreet mid-century allure. In academic terms, this morphological fusion exemplifies the dynamic interplay of phonology and onomastic innovation, casting a name that glows like an amber lantern at twilight—imbued with luminosity, resilience and tempered elegance. Although it never ascended the top ten, Shirlene’s recurrent presence suggests a quiet fidelity among parents seeking a moniker that bridges tradition and melodicism, much like an evening breeze whispering through a dawn-lit pradera.