girl's name
Pearl
PURL (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 1
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 168,851
the United States
#777
2025 births
Pearl is a girl's name taken from the gem, and it charts in all seven markets. It is reviving, and its four strongest positions are all in Britain and Ireland rather than the United States.
- Pearl is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1918, when 4,622 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
- Today about 1 in 9,472 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Pearl Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 11,507 |
| 1890s | 19,483 |
| 1900s | 21,270 |
| 1910s | 34,520 |
| 1920s | 33,570 |
| 1930s | 13,792 |
| 1940s | 8,060 |
| 1950s | 4,915 |
| 1960s | 2,662 |
| 1970s | 1,505 |
| 1980s | 1,650 |
| 1990s | 1,508 |
| 2000s | 2,238 |
| 2010s | 4,160 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,170 |
What Pearl Means
Pearl means the gem itself. It is the ordinary English word for it, used unchanged as a name, so the meaning is exact rather than reconstructed from older roots.
Where Pearl Comes From
Pearl is the English word, from the Old French perle and ultimately a Latin word of uncertain origin — possibly perna, a leg-of-mutton shellfish, from the shape of the mussel. Pearls were the most valuable gems in the ancient world, before diamond-cutting existed, which is why the pearl of great price makes sense as a parable. The name belongs to the Victorian fashion for gemstone names alongside Ruby, Opal and Beryl, and it is a rare case where a name meaning a jewel exists beside a whole family of names — Margaret, Peggy, Marjorie, Rita — that mean the same thing in Greek without anyone noticing.
Pearl in Use
Pearl peaked in the United States in 1918, when 4,622 babies were registered, and it is reviving. It charts in all seven markets — 258th in England and Wales on 180 births, 276th in Northern Ireland on 6, 288th in Ireland on 15, 376th in Scotland on 9, 719th in Canada, 777th in the United States on 350 and 3,146th in France — across 168,851 lifetime births. The four British and Irish markets all place it far above America, where most of its history was recorded.
How Popular Is Pearl?
In 2025, Pearl was given to 350 babies in the United States, ranking #777 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Pearl Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Pearl
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Pearl Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Pearl over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Pearl
- English PURL /pɜːɹl/
Pearl in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Pearl
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Pearl — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Pearl
What does the name Pearl mean?
The gem — the ordinary English word, used unchanged.
Is Pearl related to Margaret?
In meaning, yes. Margaret, Peggy, Marjorie and Rita all mean pearl in Greek, without looking like it.
Is Pearl coming back?
It is reviving, and it charts in all seven markets.
Where is Pearl most used?
England and Wales at 258th, with Northern Ireland, Ireland and Scotland all ahead of the United States.
How popular is the name Pearl?
In 2025, Pearl was given to 350 babies in the United States, ranking #777 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Pearl a girl's or a boy's name?
Pearl is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Pearl?
Pearl has 1 syllable.
When was Pearl most popular?
Pearl peaked in 1918, when 4,622 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
Is Pearl a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Pearl currently ranks #258 in the United States. After peaking in the 1910s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.