Fun Facts About the Name Pearl
- An established favorite: Pearl held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 47 consecutive years, from 1880 through 1926.
- More than 163 thousand babies named Pearl: U.S. records list 163,007 babies given the name Pearl from 1880 through 2025. Even 3,922 boys received the name Pearl - about 1 boy for every 41 girls.
What Does the Name Pearl Mean?
Pearl is an English word name meaning "pearl," the gemstone that forms inside certain mollusks. The English word comes from Old French perle, which goes back to Medieval Latin perla. The deeper origin of perla is not settled. One long-standing explanation traces it to Latin perna, "leg" or "ham," applied to the ham-shaped bivalve that yields pearls, with perula as a smaller form of the same word; other accounts treat perla as a borrowing from an unidentified source. The Latin and Greek word for pearl is a different term, margarita (Greek margaritēs), which is the word behind the name Margaret and its meaning "pearl." Pearls were later read as emblems of purity, wisdom, and great worth, as in the New Testament parable of the pearl of great price (Matthew 13:45 - 46), but those are symbolic readings rather than the word's etymology.
Pearl Name History & Origins
The English word pearl appears in the Middle English period, borrowed from Old French perle; related forms appear across western Europe, such as German Perle and Dutch parel, following the trade in the gem itself. As a personal name, Pearl belongs to the English habit of taking ordinary words for desirable things and using them as names. Because Margaret means "pearl," Pearl also served as an English equivalent of Margaret, much as Daisy stood in for the French Marguerite; name traditions treat it as a rendering of Margaret's meaning rather than as a form derived from the name itself.
Pearl sits alongside the gemstone names that became familiar in the English-speaking world in the 19th century, among them Ruby, Opal, Beryl, and Coral. Two well-known literary uses are the Middle English poem Pearl, from the 14th century, in which the narrator grieves for a young daughter called Pearl, and Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter (1850), in which Hester Prynne's daughter is named Pearl. These are famous appearances of the name, not its earliest records.
How Popular is the Name Pearl?
Pearl remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1880 to 1926. Its highest annual birth count was in 1918, and people born that year turn 108 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #777 | 350 | 0.0218% |
| 2024 | #802 | 350 | 0.0217% |
| 2023 | #800 | 351 | 0.0219% |
| 2022 | #756 | 382 | 0.0233% |
| 2021 | #741 | 385 | 0.0235% |
| 2020 | #776 | 351 | 0.0217% |
| 2019 | #729 | 387 | 0.0231% |
| 2018 | #645 | 459 | 0.0270% |
| 2017 | #653 | 455 | 0.0264% |
| 2016 | #567 | 549 | 0.0310% |
| 2015 | #624 | 461 | 0.0258% |
| 2014 | #629 | 454 | 0.0254% |
| 2013 | #673 | 424 | 0.0242% |
| 2012 | #755 | 368 | 0.0209% |
| 2011 | #807 | 335 | 0.0190% |
| 2010 | #961 | 267 | 0.0150% |
| 2009 | #985 | 269 | 0.0146% |
| 2008 | #1,017 | 259 | 0.0137% |
| 2007 | #994 | 269 | 0.0140% |
| 2006 | #1,048 | 245 | 0.0129% |
| 2005 | #1,206 | 190 | 0.0103% |
| 2004 | #1,160 | 196 | 0.0107% |
| 2003 | #1,091 | 203 | 0.0111% |
| 2002 | #1,071 | 199 | 0.0111% |
| 2001 | #1,036 | 208 | 0.0116% |
| 2000 | #1,047 | 200 | 0.0110% |
| 1999 | #1,194 | 162 | 0.0091% |
| 1998 | #1,154 | 164 | 0.0093% |
| 1997 | #1,280 | 138 | 0.0079% |
| 1996 | #1,062 | 175 | 0.0100% |
| 1995 | #1,119 | 159 | 0.0090% |
| 1994 | #1,352 | 124 | 0.0069% |
| 1993 | #1,139 | 156 | 0.0086% |
| 1992 | #1,130 | 157 | 0.0085% |
| 1991 | #1,218 | 142 | 0.0076% |
| 1990 | #1,256 | 131 | 0.0069% |
| 1989 | #1,174 | 140 | 0.0076% |
| 1988 | #1,071 | 148 | 0.0083% |
| 1987 | #1,087 | 141 | 0.0081% |
| 1986 | #978 | 162 | 0.0094% |
| 1985 | #946 | 165 | 0.0096% |
| 1984 | #888 | 169 | 0.0100% |
| 1983 | #886 | 171 | 0.0102% |
| 1982 | #828 | 190 | 0.0112% |
| 1981 | #848 | 184 | 0.0110% |
| 1980 | #901 | 168 | 0.0101% |
| 1979 | #1,002 | 143 | 0.0089% |
| 1978 | #1,035 | 132 | 0.0086% |
| 1977 | #1,064 | 123 | 0.0080% |
| 1976 | #917 | 143 | 0.0098% |
| 1975 | #894 | 148 | 0.0102% |
| 1974 | #880 | 148 | 0.0101% |
| 1973 | #889 | 142 | 0.0097% |
| 1972 | #807 | 168 | 0.0110% |
| 1971 | #846 | 163 | 0.0098% |
| 1970 | #842 | 161 | 0.0092% |
| 1969 | #879 | 143 | 0.0085% |
| 1968 | #759 | 172 | 0.0105% |
| 1967 | #742 | 175 | 0.0106% |
| 1966 | #702 | 195 | 0.0115% |
| 1965 | #601 | 259 | 0.0147% |
| 1964 | #587 | 284 | 0.0150% |
| 1963 | #590 | 284 | 0.0147% |
| 1962 | #510 | 364 | 0.0185% |
| 1961 | #525 | 346 | 0.0171% |
| 1960 | #505 | 372 | 0.0184% |
| 1959 | #518 | 350 | 0.0173% |
| 1958 | #483 | 388 | 0.0193% |
| 1957 | #447 | 443 | 0.0217% |
| 1956 | #421 | 468 | 0.0233% |
| 1955 | #406 | 465 | 0.0238% |
| 1954 | #388 | 492 | 0.0253% |
| 1953 | #376 | 516 | 0.0274% |
| 1952 | #363 | 516 | 0.0278% |
| 1951 | #348 | 531 | 0.0295% |
| 1950 | #320 | 588 | 0.0343% |
| 1949 | #323 | 575 | 0.0336% |
| 1948 | #290 | 690 | 0.0406% |
| 1947 | #293 | 713 | 0.0402% |
| 1946 | #285 | 677 | 0.0431% |
| 1945 | #265 | 654 | 0.0500% |
| 1944 | #238 | 756 | 0.0570% |
| 1943 | #223 | 879 | 0.0630% |
| 1942 | #191 | 1,092 | 0.0808% |
| 1941 | #212 | 835 | 0.0691% |
| 1940 | #197 | 907 | 0.0793% |
| 1939 | #197 | 902 | 0.0823% |
| 1938 | #189 | 1,005 | 0.0911% |
| 1937 | #187 | 1,024 | 0.0962% |
| 1936 | #172 | 1,120 | 0.1077% |
| 1935 | #167 | 1,187 | 0.1132% |
| 1934 | #154 | 1,338 | 0.1281% |
| 1933 | #143 | 1,384 | 0.1373% |
| 1932 | #138 | 1,618 | 0.1516% |
| 1931 | #137 | 1,648 | 0.1548% |
| 1930 | #121 | 2,069 | 0.1838% |
| 1929 | #114 | 2,172 | 0.1945% |
| 1928 | #110 | 2,367 | 0.2052% |
| 1927 | #102 | 2,718 | 0.2279% |
| 1926 | #96 | 2,899 | 0.2446% |
| 1925 | #90 | 3,213 | 0.2639% |
| 1924 | #78 | 3,635 | 0.2911% |
| 1923 | #78 | 3,543 | 0.2937% |
| 1922 | #71 | 3,848 | 0.3204% |
| 1921 | #65 | 4,175 | 0.3386% |
| 1920 | #62 | 4,204 | 0.3508% |
| 1919 | #56 | 4,273 | 0.3781% |
| 1918 | #56 | 4,521 | 0.3905% |
| 1917 | #57 | 4,232 | 0.3914% |
| 1916 | #57 | 4,073 | 0.3900% |
| 1915 | #56 | 3,976 | 0.4041% |
| 1914 | #56 | 3,223 | 0.4232% |
| 1913 | #55 | 2,756 | 0.4413% |
| 1912 | #54 | 2,528 | 0.4529% |
| 1911 | #48 | 2,075 | 0.4960% |
| 1910 | #39 | 2,177 | 0.5491% |
| 1909 | #40 | 2,048 | 0.5898% |
| 1908 | #39 | 2,075 | 0.6207% |
| 1907 | #35 | 2,108 | 0.6617% |
| 1906 | #35 | 2,035 | 0.6891% |
| 1905 | #31 | 2,108 | 0.7229% |
| 1904 | #30 | 2,015 | 0.7318% |
| 1903 | #27 | 2,046 | 0.7810% |
| 1902 | #28 | 2,100 | 0.7952% |
| 1901 | #31 | 1,866 | 0.7796% |
| 1900 | #24 | 2,512 | 0.8379% |
| 1899 | #27 | 1,999 | 0.8579% |
| 1898 | #26 | 2,158 | 0.8339% |
| 1897 | #25 | 2,076 | 0.8864% |
| 1896 | #25 | 2,101 | 0.8831% |
| 1895 | #26 | 1,958 | 0.8381% |
| 1894 | #28 | 1,789 | 0.8025% |
| 1893 | #26 | 1,796 | 0.8436% |
| 1892 | #26 | 1,831 | 0.8623% |
| 1891 | #27 | 1,605 | 0.8653% |
| 1890 | #24 | 1,741 | 0.9145% |
| 1889 | #24 | 1,588 | 0.8903% |
| 1888 | #26 | 1,591 | 0.8907% |
| 1887 | #25 | 1,316 | 0.9015% |
| 1886 | #29 | 1,204 | 0.8330% |
| 1885 | #26 | 1,146 | 0.8613% |
| 1884 | #25 | 1,138 | 0.8820% |
| 1883 | #29 | 886 | 0.7888% |
| 1882 | #33 | 824 | 0.7640% |
| 1881 | #38 | 641 | 0.6971% |
| 1880 | #47 | 569 | 0.6253% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | #7,025 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #6,042 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #4,978 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1976 | #5,432 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1973 | #4,925 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #4,824 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1971 | #3,586 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1969 | #4,854 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #2,927 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #2,426 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1965 | #3,179 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1964 | #2,794 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #3,569 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #2,844 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #3,576 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1959 | #2,627 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1958 | #2,340 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1957 | #1,937 | 18 | 0.0008% |
| 1956 | #2,073 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1955 | #1,499 | 27 | 0.0013% |
| 1954 | #2,027 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1953 | #1,944 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1952 | #2,348 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1951 | #2,621 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #1,796 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1949 | #1,696 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1948 | #1,749 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1947 | #1,333 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1946 | #1,548 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1945 | #1,290 | 27 | 0.0020% |
| 1944 | #1,252 | 29 | 0.0021% |
| 1943 | #1,034 | 43 | 0.0030% |
| 1942 | #1,049 | 42 | 0.0030% |
| 1941 | #1,573 | 20 | 0.0016% |
| 1940 | #1,271 | 29 | 0.0025% |
| 1939 | #882 | 50 | 0.0045% |
| 1938 | #959 | 44 | 0.0040% |
| 1937 | #941 | 45 | 0.0042% |
| 1936 | #1,007 | 40 | 0.0039% |
| 1935 | #868 | 53 | 0.0051% |
| 1934 | #1,072 | 38 | 0.0037% |
| 1933 | #884 | 50 | 0.0050% |
| 1932 | #990 | 45 | 0.0043% |
| 1931 | #781 | 65 | 0.0063% |
| 1930 | #791 | 67 | 0.0061% |
| 1929 | #740 | 73 | 0.0068% |
| 1928 | #707 | 81 | 0.0073% |
| 1927 | #729 | 80 | 0.0071% |
| 1926 | #774 | 71 | 0.0064% |
| 1925 | #807 | 68 | 0.0061% |
| 1924 | #721 | 85 | 0.0075% |
| 1923 | #717 | 83 | 0.0076% |
| 1922 | #752 | 78 | 0.0072% |
| 1921 | #706 | 86 | 0.0078% |
| 1920 | #672 | 91 | 0.0085% |
| 1919 | #613 | 98 | 0.0100% |
| 1918 | #613 | 101 | 0.0100% |
| 1917 | #654 | 84 | 0.0091% |
| 1916 | #721 | 70 | 0.0079% |
| 1915 | #579 | 97 | 0.0114% |
| 1914 | #676 | 57 | 0.0087% |
| 1913 | #517 | 70 | 0.0137% |
| 1912 | #554 | 53 | 0.0123% |
| 1911 | #521 | 33 | 0.0146% |
| 1910 | #614 | 23 | 0.0118% |
| 1909 | #375 | 41 | 0.0250% |
| 1908 | #393 | 36 | 0.0233% |
| 1907 | #372 | 37 | 0.0252% |
| 1906 | #360 | 34 | 0.0255% |
| 1905 | #401 | 29 | 0.0219% |
| 1904 | #376 | 30 | 0.0234% |
| 1903 | #316 | 36 | 0.0302% |
| 1902 | #334 | 35 | 0.0285% |
| 1901 | #283 | 38 | 0.0357% |
| 1900 | #342 | 41 | 0.0272% |
| 1899 | #334 | 29 | 0.0273% |
| 1898 | #303 | 39 | 0.0318% |
| 1897 | #267 | 44 | 0.0390% |
| 1896 | #310 | 37 | 0.0309% |
| 1895 | #267 | 45 | 0.0383% |
| 1894 | #234 | 55 | 0.0475% |
| 1893 | #219 | 62 | 0.0552% |
| 1892 | #296 | 39 | 0.0320% |
| 1891 | #304 | 31 | 0.0306% |
| 1890 | #245 | 48 | 0.0432% |
| 1889 | #230 | 50 | 0.0452% |
| 1888 | #213 | 69 | 0.0571% |
| 1887 | #191 | 64 | 0.0631% |
| 1886 | #186 | 73 | 0.0659% |
| 1885 | #212 | 57 | 0.0529% |
| 1884 | #212 | 62 | 0.0542% |
| 1883 | #200 | 57 | 0.0545% |
| 1882 | #216 | 58 | 0.0510% |
| 1881 | #213 | 52 | 0.0516% |
| 1880 | #196 | 62 | 0.0561% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Pearl
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
Established Favorite Girl Names
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Short Girl Names That Start with P
How the Name Pearl Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a power of expression, either in speaking or writing. You are in favor for studying and research. You are clever, clear-sighted and intellectual. You don't like to let others know your true feelings. You might be atheistic or agnostic. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Pearl's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Pearl's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.