Pearl
Girl name · #776 in 2025 · Rare
Pearl is currently the #776 girl name in the United States — 350 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #624, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 5,143 girls born in 2025 was named Pearl.
The 145-year story
Pearl first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 569 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 4,521 girls were named Pearl — good for #56 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Pearl per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Pearl against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Pearl in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Pearl is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Pearl will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Pearl is most common
Geography matters for names, and Pearl is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Pearl is most common in NY (0.7 per 1,000), NJ (0.5 per 1,000), WA (0.4 per 1,000), IL (0.3 per 1,000), OH (0.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Pearl is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Pearl
Statistically, parents drawn to Pearl tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Adele, Viola, Agnes, Celia, and Petra.
AdeleViolaAgnesCeliaPetraJewelLillieCecelia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Pearl | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 350 | #776 |
| 2024 | 351 | #801 |
| 2023 | 351 | #800 |
| 2022 | 382 | #754 |
| 2021 | 385 | #740 |
| 2020 | 351 | #776 |
| 2019 | 387 | #729 |
| 2018 | 460 | #644 |
| 2017 | 455 | #651 |
| 2016 | 549 | #567 |
| 2015 | 461 | #624 |
| 2014 | 454 | #629 |
| 2013 | 424 | #672 |
| 2012 | 368 | #755 |
| 2011 | 335 | #806 |
| 2010 | 267 | #960 |
| 2009 | 269 | #983 |
| 2008 | 259 | #1016 |
| 2007 | 269 | #991 |
| 2006 | 245 | #1045 |
| 2005 | 190 | #1203 |
| 2004 | 196 | #1152 |
| 2003 | 203 | #1084 |
| 2002 | 199 | #1068 |
| 2001 | 208 | #1035 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Pearl a popular girl name?
Pearl ranked #776 among girls in 2025 with 350 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #624.
When was the name Pearl most popular?
Pearl peaked in 1918, when 4,521 American girls received the name (ranked #56 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Pearl?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 5,143 newborn American girls was named Pearl. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.