Girl nameCurrently #802 in the USFalling
Pearl
PURL//pɜːrl//
1 syllablePeak year: 19185 lettersStarts with P
Meaning & origin
Pearl gem
Pearl is a jewel name for the lustrous gem formed within oysters, long a symbol of purity and rarity. A beloved Victorian and Edwardian classic, it has returned to fashion recently alongside other vintage gem names.
Pearl's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Pearl |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 631 |
| 1881 | 693 |
| 1882 | 882 |
| 1883 | 943 |
| 1884 | 1,200 |
| 1885 | 1,203 |
| 1886 | 1,277 |
| 1887 | 1,380 |
| 1888 | 1,660 |
| 1889 | 1,638 |
| 1890 | 1,789 |
| 1891 | 1,636 |
| 1892 | 1,870 |
| 1893 | 1,858 |
| 1894 | 1,844 |
| 1895 | 2,003 |
| 1896 | 2,138 |
| 1897 | 2,120 |
| 1898 | 2,197 |
| 1899 | 2,028 |
| 1900 | 2,553 |
| 1901 | 1,904 |
| 1902 | 2,135 |
| 1903 | 2,082 |
| 1904 | 2,045 |
| 1905 | 2,137 |
| 1906 | 2,069 |
| 1907 | 2,145 |
| 1908 | 2,111 |
| 1909 | 2,089 |
| 1910 | 2,200 |
| 1911 | 2,108 |
| 1912 | 2,581 |
| 1913 | 2,826 |
| 1914 | 3,280 |
| 1915 | 4,073 |
| 1916 | 4,143 |
| 1917 | 4,316 |
| 1918 | 4,622 |
| 1919 | 4,371 |
| 1920 | 4,295 |
| 1921 | 4,261 |
| 1922 | 3,926 |
| 1923 | 3,626 |
| 1924 | 3,720 |
| 1925 | 3,281 |
| 1926 | 2,970 |
| 1927 | 2,798 |
| 1928 | 2,448 |
| 1929 | 2,245 |
| 1930 | 2,136 |
| 1931 | 1,713 |
| 1932 | 1,663 |
| 1933 | 1,434 |
| 1934 | 1,376 |
| 1935 | 1,240 |
| 1936 | 1,160 |
| 1937 | 1,069 |
| 1938 | 1,049 |
| 1939 | 952 |
| 1940 | 936 |
| 1941 | 855 |
| 1942 | 1,134 |
| 1943 | 922 |
| 1944 | 785 |
| 1945 | 681 |
| 1946 | 699 |
| 1947 | 744 |
| 1948 | 709 |
| 1949 | 595 |
| 1950 | 606 |
| 1951 | 541 |
| 1952 | 528 |
| 1953 | 533 |
| 1954 | 508 |
| 1955 | 492 |
| 1956 | 484 |
| 1957 | 461 |
| 1958 | 401 |
| 1959 | 361 |
| 1960 | 379 |
| 1961 | 356 |
| 1962 | 364 |
| 1963 | 291 |
| 1964 | 294 |
| 1965 | 267 |
| 1966 | 207 |
| 1967 | 184 |
| 1968 | 172 |
| 1969 | 148 |
| 1970 | 161 |
| 1971 | 172 |
| 1972 | 174 |
| 1973 | 148 |
| 1974 | 148 |
| 1975 | 148 |
| 1976 | 149 |
| 1977 | 130 |
| 1978 | 132 |
| 1979 | 143 |
| 1980 | 174 |
| 1981 | 184 |
| 1982 | 190 |
| 1983 | 176 |
| 1984 | 169 |
| 1985 | 165 |
| 1986 | 162 |
| 1987 | 141 |
| 1988 | 148 |
| 1989 | 140 |
| 1990 | 131 |
| 1991 | 142 |
| 1992 | 157 |
| 1993 | 156 |
| 1994 | 124 |
| 1995 | 159 |
| 1996 | 175 |
| 1997 | 138 |
| 1998 | 164 |
| 1999 | 162 |
| 2000 | 200 |
| 2001 | 208 |
| 2002 | 199 |
| 2003 | 203 |
| 2004 | 196 |
| 2005 | 190 |
| 2006 | 245 |
| 2007 | 269 |
| 2008 | 259 |
| 2009 | 269 |
| 2010 | 267 |
| 2011 | 335 |
| 2012 | 368 |
| 2013 | 424 |
| 2014 | 454 |
| 2015 | 461 |
| 2016 | 549 |
| 2017 | 455 |
| 2018 | 459 |
| 2019 | 387 |
| 2020 | 351 |
| 2021 | 385 |
| 2022 | 382 |
| 2023 | 351 |
| 2024 | 350 |
Pearl through the decades
- Pearl peaked in 1918, when 4,622 babies were named Pearl in the US.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Pearl has risen 34% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Pearl currently ranks #802 in the US and is cooling off.
Nicknames
Pearl
Variants & spellings
Perla