Quick answer
Shirley is a boy/girl name meaning "bright clearing".
Pronunciation: American English /ˈʃɜɹ.li/; British English /ˈʃɜː.li/.
Meaning and history
From an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning "bright clearing", from Old English scir "bright" and leah "woodland, clearing". This is the name of a main character in Charlotte Brontë's semi-autobiographical novel Shirley (1849). Though the name was already popular in the United States, the child actress Shirley Temple (1928-2014) gave it a further boost. By 1935 it was the second most common name for girls.
Notes and context
Usage: english