Pearl
The English gem name, which came through Old French perle from a Latin word for a mussel or shellfish.
Pearl in 2025
Pearl was given to 350 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 1,514th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 9,472 babies born.
The history of Pearl
Pearl reached its highest point in 1918, when 4,622 babies were given the name, ranking 98th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 33rd, in 1897.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 163,010 babies have been named Pearl. Half of them were born before 1918, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Greatest Generation.
Pearl by decade
| Decade | Babies named Pearl | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 11,507 | 37 |
| 1890s | 19,483 | 33 |
| 1900s | 21,270 | 36 |
| 1910s | 34,520 | 52 |
| 1920s | 33,570 | 105 |
| 1930s | 13,792 | 213 |
| 1940s | 8,060 | 345 |
| 1950s | 4,915 | 578 |
| 1960s | 2,662 | 889 |
| 1970s | 1,505 | 1,369 |
| 1980s | 1,650 | 1,429 |
| 1990s | 1,508 | 1,865 |
| 2000s | 2,238 | 1,784 |
| 2010s | 4,160 | 1,097 |
| 2020s | 2,170 | 1,422 |
Where Pearl is heading
Pearl has fallen 24% over the past decade, from 461 babies in 2015 to 350 in 2025.
Names like Pearl
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Pearl.