unisex name
Perl
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 719
Perl is a unisex name with 1 syllable. It is given to both girls and boys — about 88% of recorded births with this name are girls. In 2025 it was given to 32 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
- Peaked in 2023, when 35 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 103,605 babies in the United States is given this name.
- Perl started out as a boys' name and is now given almost entirely to girls.
- First appears in US birth records in 1883.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Perl over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 10 |
| 1890s | 5 |
| 1910s | 38 |
| 1920s | 27 |
| 1930s | 10 |
| 1960s | 5 |
| 1970s | 11 |
| 1980s | 23 |
| 1990s | 50 |
| 2000s | 140 |
| 2010s | 216 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 166 |
How popular is Perl?
In 2025, Perl was given to 32 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Perl 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 Perl
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Perl also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Perl over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for Perl
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Perl — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Perl
How popular is the name Perl?
In 2025, Perl was given to 32 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Perl a girl's or a boy's name?
Perl is used for both girls and boys. About 88% of recorded births with this name are girls.
How many syllables are in Perl?
Perl has 1 syllable.
When was Perl most popular?
Perl peaked in 2023, when 35 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Perl a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Perl currently ranks #4,379 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.
Was Perl originally a boys' or girls' name?
Perl was given mostly to boys in the earliest US birth records and is now given almost entirely to girls.