Purl
Purl or wormwood ale is an English drink. It was originally made by infusing ale with the tops of various species of Artemisia ("wormwood"), especially those of Artemisia maritima, "sea wormwood", which grows in coastal salt marsh and bears the alternative English common name of "old woman". Other purgative or bitter herbs such as orange peel or senna might also be used.
Meaning & Origin of Purl
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Purl or wormwood ale is an English drink. It was originally made by infusing ale with the tops of various species of Artemisia ("wormwood"), especially those of Artemisia maritima, "sea wormwood", which grows in coastal salt marsh and bears the alternative English common name of "old woman". Other purgative or bitter herbs such as orange peel or senna might also be used.
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The Story of Purl
Purl first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1884, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1925, when 10 Purls were born — ranking #2,755 that year. As of 2026, Purl ranks #3,560 for baby boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 81 Purls have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Purl
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Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Purl
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About the name Purl
Purl is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1884 and has accumulated 81 births in the dataset. Purl's peak popularity came in 1925 when it ranked #2,755. Use the chart and map above to compare Purl's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1925 →
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- Top names of 2026 →
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.