Pearle
Feminine · “pearl”
Pearle is Pearl with a decorative final e — the gem name given a French finish, in the American habit that also produced Bettye, Mabelle and Nelle.
How old is the name Pearle?
Pearle was already in use when US birth records began in 1880 — it is at least 145 years old. The typical Pearle alive today was born around 1911, making them about 114 years old. About 100 people named Pearle are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Pearle most popular?
Pearle peaked in 1886, reaching #280 nationally. See the whole 1886 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From perle to Pearle
The story of Pearle
Gem names became fashionable for girls in the nineteenth century — Ruby, Opal, Beryl, Pearl — and American families used them heavily. Pearl rose sharply through the 1880s and 1890s and, like any very common name, invited individuation: Pearle, Pearlie, Pearline. The -e spelling appears in the registers alongside the plain one and peaked around 1900.
Meaning
pearl
From the Old French perle and ultimately a Latin word for a sea-mussel. The pearl was the most valuable gem of the ancient Mediterranean, more so than diamond, which is why it appears so often in scripture as an image of something beyond price.
How the name formed
- perle
- pearl
- Pearl
- Pearle
Related forms: Perle · Perla · Margarites
Pronouncing Pearle
PURL
One syllable. The final e is silent; Pearle and Pearl are homophones.
Nicknames for Pearle
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1880
- Most girls named
- 191592 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #280reached in 1886
- Change vs 1995
- +20.0%6 in 2018, from 5
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Pearle in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Perle in French — related form
- Perla in Spanish — related form
- Margarites in Greek — related form
Pearles among us
people named Pearle are estimated to be alive in the US today
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
Questions parents actually ask
Fashion outlook
Pearle has already lived its whole cycle: it rose, had its era, and has stepped off the charts. The fashion question is behind it — what lies ahead is the waiting room where revivals begin, once a name's first generation has grown distant enough for it to sound fresh again.
Based on 146 years of naming cycles. How we read them
The trade-off
- The meaning is concrete and needs no explanation in any language.
- The e gives the written name a distinct look at no cost in sound.
- One syllable that pairs cleanly with almost any surname.
- The e does no audible work, so the spelling has to be given every time.
- It is strongly period-coded to the turn of the last century.
Nobody names a baby alone.
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What they receive
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Pearle
Feminine
Frequently asked
- How many Pearles are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 100 people named Pearle are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Pearle in 2025?
- Pearle is rarely given in the US today — it does not rank in the top 2000 girl names.
- Will my child share the name Pearle with classmates?
- Pearle will almost certainly be the only one in school.
More P names
The most-given names starting with P, all years combined.
Patricia#1334 · Pamela#2239 · Phyllis#11932 · Peggy#8362 · Paula#853 · Pauline#2957 · Pearl#776 · Paige#346
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Pearle? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Pearle and another name?
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US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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