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 It was originally made by infusing ale with the tops of various species of Artemisia ("wormwood"), especially those of Artemisia maritima, "sea wormwood", which grows in coastal salt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 It was originally made by infusing ale with the tops of various species of Artemisia ("wormwood"), especially those of Artemisia maritima, "sea wormwood", which grows in coastal salt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.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Purl
American parents first put Purl on the record books as a baby boy name in 1884, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1925, when 10 Purls were born — ranking #2,755 that year. About 43% of every Purl on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Purl last appeared in the published SSA data in 1929, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 81 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Purl
Phonetically similar names — useful when Purl 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 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 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "P" →
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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.