Girl · #794 in 2026

Pearl

Pearl is a unisex given name derived from the English word pearl, a hard, roundish object produced within the soft tissue of a living, shelled mollusk. Pearls are commonly used in jewelry-making. The name has a history of usage among Jews. Pearl is used as an Anglicization of the Yiddish name Perle. Pearl is also a common Jewish surname.

Current Rank
#794
Peak Rank
#24 (1918)
Total Babies
159K
5-Yr Trend
-12%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1918
Peak Year
#24
Peak Rank
159K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Pearl

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Pearl is a unisex given name derived from the English word pearl, a hard, roundish object produced within the soft tissue of a living, shelled mollusk. Pearls are commonly used in jewelry-making. The name has a history of usage among Jews. Pearl is used as an Anglicization of the Yiddish name Perle. Pearl is also a common Jewish surname.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Pearl

Pearl first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 569 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1918, when 4,521 Pearls were born — ranking #56 that year. As of 2026, Pearl ranks #794 for baby girls with 352 births, gradually falling (-12%). In total, more than 159K Pearls have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Pearl

Phonetically similar names — useful when Pearl is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Pearl

What does the name Pearl mean?
Pearl is a unisex given name derived from the English word pearl, a hard, roundish object produced within the soft tissue of a living, shelled mollusk. Pearls are commonly used in jewelry-making. The name has a history of usage among Jews. Pearl is used as an Anglicization of the Yiddish name Perle. Pearl is also a common Jewish surname.
How popular is Pearl in 2026?
In 2026, Pearl ranks #794 among girls' names in the U.S., with 352 babies given the name that year.
When was Pearl most popular?
Pearl reached its peak popularity in 1918, ranking #24 that year with 4,521 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Pearl most popular?
Pearl has historically been most popular in Alabama, Hawaii, Vermont. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Pearl.
Is Pearl a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Pearl is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Pearl?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Pearl include Jennie, Leah, Phyllis. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Jennie
Peak #24
👧
Leah
Peak #24
👧
Phyllis
Peak #24
👧
Mattie
Peak #25
👧
Katherine
Peak #25
👧
Thelma
Peak #25
👧
Andrea
Peak #23
👧
Denise
Peak #23

About the name Pearl

Pearl is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 159K births in the dataset. Pearl's peak popularity came in 1918 when it ranked #24. Use the chart and map above to compare Pearl's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.