Pearl Girl

Popularity: #609 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: purl //pɜrl//

Origin: English; Latin

Meaning: English: precious gem; Latin: pearl

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Pearl derives from the Old French word "perle," which itself comes from the Latin "perla," and ultimately traces back to the Greek "perleus," meaning "pearl" or "precious gem." This etymological journey reflects the value placed on pearls in various cultures, symbolizing purity and beauty. The name entered the English language during the Middle Ages, a period when pearls were highly prized and often associated with nobility and wealth, thus enhancing the name's appeal as a feminine given name.

Historically, the name Pearl has been borne by notable figures, including Pearl S. Buck, an American author who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1938.

The name also appears in various literary and religious texts, most notably in the biblical context, where pearls are often used as metaphors for wisdom and virtue. For instance, in the New Testament, Jesus refers to the "pearl of great price" in the parable found in the Gospel of Matthew, emphasizing the value of the Kingdom of Heaven.

This biblical reference, dating back to the 1st century CE, contributed to the name's significance in Christian communities. Culturally, pearls have been associated with various traditions and symbolism throughout history.

In many cultures, they are seen as symbols of purity, innocence, and integrity, which aligns with the qualities often attributed to women. The name Pearl has also been linked to the idea of something precious and rare, further solidifying its resonance in the cultural imagination.

Variants and diminutives, such as Perla in Italian and Spanish, reflect the name's adaptability across different languages and cultures, while maintaining its core associations with beauty and value.

Famous people named Pearl

In this section, you will find notable people named Pearl. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Pearl who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Pearl who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Pearl S. Buck is an author best known for The Good Earth, East Wind: West Wind, and The Eternal Wonder.

Pearl Bailey is a singer and actress best known for Porgy and Bess, Hello, Dolly!, and her Grammy Award-winning albums.

Pearl Jam is a rock band best known for Ten, Vs., and Vitalogy.

Pearl Harbor is a historical event best known for the attack on December 7, 1941, and its impact on World War II.

Fictional characters named Pearl

The following list of fictional characters named Pearl is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Pearl is a fictional character from the animated television series Steven Universe. She is a member of the Crystal Gems and serves as a mentor and protector to the protagonist, Steven.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Pearl, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

OpalRubyJadeSapphireAmethystGarnet

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Pearl. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

MabelHazelCoraNellLilaClaraFloraIris

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Pearl was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Pearl has ranked as high as #98 nationally, which occurred in 1918, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, California, and Texas.

In the past 5 years the name Pearl has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Pearl is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Pearl was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Pearl.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 350 0 350
2024 351 0 351
2023 351 0 351
2022 382 0 382
2021 385 0 385
2020 351 0 351
2019 387 0 387
2018 460 0 460
2017 455 0 455
2016 549 0 549
2015 461 0 461
2014 454 0 454
2013 424 0 424
2012 368 0 368
2011 335 0 335
2010 267 0 267
2009 269 0 269
2008 259 0 259
2007 269 0 269
2006 245 0 245
2005 190 0 190
2004 196 0 196
2003 203 0 203
2002 199 0 199
2001 208 0 208
2000 200 0 200
1999 162 0 162
1998 164 0 164
1997 138 0 138
1996 175 0 175
1995 159 0 159
1994 124 0 124
1993 156 0 156
1992 157 0 157
1991 142 0 142
1990 131 0 131
1989 140 0 140
1988 148 0 148
1987 141 0 141
1986 162 0 162
1985 165 0 165
1984 169 0 169
1983 177 5 172
1982 190 0 190
1981 184 0 184
1980 174 6 168
1979 143 0 143
1978 132 0 132
1977 130 7 123
1976 149 6 143
1975 148 0 148
1974 148 0 148
1973 148 6 142
1972 174 6 168
1971 172 9 163
1970 161 0 161
1969 148 5 143
1968 172 0 172
1967 184 9 175
1966 207 12 195
1965 267 8 259
1964 294 10 284
1963 291 7 284
1962 364 0 364
1961 356 10 346
1960 379 7 372
1959 361 11 350
1958 401 13 388
1957 461 18 443
1956 484 16 468
1955 492 27 465
1954 508 16 492
1953 533 17 516
1952 528 12 516
1951 541 10 531
1950 606 18 588
1949 595 20 575
1948 709 19 690
1947 744 31 713
1946 699 22 677
1945 681 27 654
1944 785 29 756
1943 922 43 879
1942 1,134 42 1,092
1941 855 20 835
1940 936 29 907
1939 952 50 902
1938 1,049 44 1,005
1937 1,069 45 1,024
1936 1,160 40 1,120
1935 1,240 53 1,187
1934 1,376 38 1,338
1933 1,434 50 1,384
1932 1,663 45 1,618
1931 1,713 65 1,648
1930 2,136 67 2,069
1929 2,245 73 2,172
1928 2,448 81 2,367
1927 2,798 80 2,718
1926 2,970 71 2,899
1925 3,281 68 3,213
1924 3,720 85 3,635
1923 3,626 83 3,543
1922 3,926 78 3,848
1921 4,261 86 4,175
1920 4,295 91 4,204
1919 4,371 98 4,273
1918 4,622 101 4,521
1917 4,316 84 4,232
1916 4,143 70 4,073
1915 4,073 97 3,976
1914 3,280 57 3,223
1913 2,826 70 2,756
1912 2,581 53 2,528
1911 2,108 33 2,075
1910 2,200 23 2,177
1909 2,089 41 2,048
1908 2,111 36 2,075
1907 2,145 37 2,108
1906 2,069 34 2,035
1905 2,137 29 2,108
1904 2,045 30 2,015
1903 2,082 36 2,046
1902 2,135 35 2,100
1901 1,904 38 1,866
1900 2,553 41 2,512
1899 2,028 29 1,999
1898 2,197 39 2,158
1897 2,120 44 2,076
1896 2,138 37 2,101
1895 2,003 45 1,958
1894 1,844 55 1,789
1893 1,858 62 1,796
1892 1,870 39 1,831
1891 1,636 31 1,605
1890 1,789 48 1,741
1889 1,638 50 1,588
1888 1,660 69 1,591
1887 1,380 64 1,316
1886 1,277 73 1,204
1885 1,203 57 1,146
1884 1,200 62 1,138
1883 943 57 886
1882 882 58 824
1881 693 52 641
1880 631 62 569

Top States for Pearl (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
NY 49
17%
CA 41
14%
TX 23
8%
WA 17
6%
FL 13
4%
MI 13
4%
NJ 12
4%
MA 11
4%
PA 11
4%
MN 11
4%
MO 8
3%
WI 8
3%
AZ 7
2%
CO 7
2%
IL 7
2%
OH 7
2%
MD 6
2%
TN 6
2%
UT 6
2%
VA 6
2%
GA 6
2%
CT 5
2%
NE 5
2%
IA 5
2%