Perl
Feminine · “pearl”
Perl is given to both — 616 girls and 85 boys since 1880. See other names given to both
Perl is the Yiddish form of pearl, and it belongs to a set of Ashkenazi women's names taken from precious things rather than from scripture.
How old is the name Perl?
Perl first appears in US birth records in 1929 — 96 years ago. The typical Perl is a kid of about 11 — this name's wave is very recent. About 600 people named Perl are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Perl most popular?
Perl peaked in 2023, reaching #4114 nationally. Today it ranks #4352, 238 places below that high. See the whole 2023 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From perle to Perl
The story of Perl
Ashkenazi women's names came largely from German rather than Hebrew, and the precious-thing group is particularly clear: Perl a pearl, Golda gold, Diamant a diamond, Sheine beautiful, Bluma a flower. Each has a Hebrew equivalent used alongside it — Margalit for Perl, Zahava for Golda. The name is used in Hasidic communities and appears in American records from Brooklyn and Rockland County.
Meaning
pearl
From Middle High German perle, a pearl, itself from Latin perna; Yiddish Perl and Perle name the stone directly. The Hebrew equivalent Margalit is a translation used by the same families.
How the name formed
- perle
- Perl
Related forms: Perle · Margalit · Perle
Pronouncing Perl
PERL
One syllable. Yiddish Perle gives two.
Nicknames for Perl
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
- 1929
- Most girls named
- 202335 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #4114reached in 2023
- Change vs 2024
- +33.3%32 in 2025, from 24
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.
Perl in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Perle in Yiddish — spelling variant
- Margalit in Hebrew — related form
- Perle in German — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: New York.
Perls among us
people named Perl are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 50,227 born in 2025 was named Perl
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Rickia test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Perl's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Rickia climbed just as high around 1994, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Rickia's path sketches the road Perl is walking now.
Perl sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Perl is headed
Perl should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Perl beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Perl in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- A settled meaning that is concrete and needs no explaining.
- Four letters and one syllable — as short as a name gets.
- A centuries-deep record in a living community.
- A programming language carries the name, which is a strong association for some.
- Pearl is the English spelling and will be assumed and written.
- It is entirely unfamiliar outside Ashkenazi communities in America.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Perl to the vote.
Add it to a family vote or a couple’s swipe deck — the other person gets one card, a simple answer and room to say why. No app, no account for them.
Only the people you invite can see your list.
Already decided on Perl? Hide it among decoys and let them guess.
What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Perl
Feminine · #4352 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Perls are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 600 people named Perl are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Perl in 2025?
- Perl ranks #4352 among US girl names in 2025, with 32 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Perl?
- About 1 in every 50,227 US girls born in 2025 was named Perl — 32 in all.
- Will my child share the name Perl with classmates?
- Perl will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Perl
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Sigrid#4352 · Adel#4352 · Lovella#4352 · Kaysha#4352 · Arissa#4352 · Joseline#4352 · Yajaira#4352 · Elma#4352
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Perl? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Perl and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
Compare side by sideIn a hurry? Just pick a winner — one tap, no sign-up, and you see how everyone else voted.
Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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