ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1884

First Year

1929

Last Year

1925

Peak Year

#2755

Peak Rank

81

Total Count

13

Years Active

🌍

## 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 It was originally made by infusing ale with the tops of various species of Artemisia ("wormwood"), especially those of Artemisia maritima, "sea wormwood", which grows in coastal salt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 ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purl) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purl)

[![Wikipedia thumbnail for Purl](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/71/Artemisia-maritima.JPG/330px-Artemisia-maritima.JPG)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purl)

📖

## 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

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 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. 

* [Pearl](/pearl)
* [Perl](/perl)
* [Pearle](/pearle)
* [Perle](/perle)
* [Pirl](/pirl)
* [Burl](/burl)
* Birle
* [Berle](/berle)
* [Birl](/birl)
* [Berl](/berl)
* [Burle](/burle)
* Brl

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Purl

What does the name Purl mean?

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 It was originally made by infusing ale with the tops of various species of Artemisia ("wormwood"), especially those of Artemisia maritima, "sea wormwood", which grows in coastal salt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.

How popular is Purl in 2026?

In 2026, Purl ranks #3,560 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.

When was Purl most popular?

Purl reached its peak popularity in 1925, ranking #2,755 that year with 10 babies given the name.

Is Purl a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Purl is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.

What names go well with Purl?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Purl include Norfleet, Hodge, Zebbie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👦NorfleetPeak #2755](/norfleet)[👦HodgePeak #2755](/hodge)[👦ZebbiePeak #2755](/zebbie)[👦DreweyPeak #2755](/drewey)[👦DenePeak #2755](/dene)[👦HansellPeak #2755](/hansell)[👦VernusPeak #2755](/vernus)[👦HershPeak #2755](/hersh)

## 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 → ](/year/1925)
* [ Names of the 1920s → ](/decade/1920s)
* [ Names starting with "P" → ](/letter/p)
* [ Browse all boy names → ](/names/boys)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.