Baby Names US
Unisex name ★ peaked 2023

Perl

Meaning Perl (פּערל) is a Yiddish feminine given name Gender Unisex · 88% girls Rank 2025 #4,436 Trend ↑ Rising 39%

Perl (פּערל) is a Yiddish feminine given name.

Rank 2025
#4,436
among girls · ↑972 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
32
named Perl · +33% vs 2024
How common
1 in 50,227
girls born in 2025
Peak year
2023
35 babies
All-time total
701
#10,374 all-time among girls
First recorded
1883
in Social Security records

Perl popularity over time

701 babies have been named Perl since 1883, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 10 10 1 – –
1890s – 5 5 1 -50% –
1900s – – – – – –
1910s – 38 38 4 – –
1920s 5 22 27 3 -29% #5,134
1930s – 10 10 1 -63% –
1940s – – – – – –
1950s – – – – – –
1960s 5 – 5 1 – #7,559
1970s 11 – 11 1 +120% #9,295
1980s 23 – 23 2 +109% #10,000
1990s 50 – 50 5 +117% #7,893
2000s 140 – 140 14 +180% #6,153
2010s 216 – 216 22 +54% #4,414
2020s (to 2025) 166 – 166 28 +28% #4,170

Where Perl is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 33 0.02 outside top 500
2027 35 0.02 outside top 500
2028 36 0.02 outside top 500
2029 37 0.02 outside top 500
2030 38 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Perl

Perl is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,436 in 2025 with 32 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1883, 701 American babies have been named Perl, about 88% girls and 12% boys, making it a genuinely unisex name. Its peak came in 2023, when 35 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2020s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Perl stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Perl?

The median living Perl is about 11 years old; half are between 5 and 20. An estimated 600 people named Perl are alive in the United States today.

median 11 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Perl year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 32 #4,436 – –
2024 24 #5,408 – –
2023 35 #4,170 – –
2022 29 #4,766 – –
2021 25 #5,205 – –
2020 21 #5,805 – –
2019 24 #5,420 – –
2018 24 #5,423 – –
2017 25 #5,300 – –
2016 33 #4,414 – –
2015 19 #6,662 – –
2014 23 #5,752 – –
2013 20 #6,420 – –
2012 17 #7,383 – –
2011 11 #10,232 – –
2010 20 #6,578 – –
2009 22 #6,255 – –
2008 12 #9,942 – –
2007 16 #8,011 – –
2006 12 #9,761 – –
2005 14 #8,230 – –
2004 20 #6,153 – –
2003 9 #11,107 – –
2002 13 #8,177 – –
2001 15 #7,233 – –
2000 7 #12,807 – –
1995 – – – –
1990 – – – –
1985 – – – –
1980 – – – –
1975 – – – –
1970 – – – –
1965 – – – –
1960 – – – –
1955 – – – –
1950 – – – –
1945 – – – –
1940 – – – –
1935 – – – –
1930 – – 5 #4,418
1925 – – – –
1920 – – 7 #3,741
1915 – – 7 #3,319
1910 – – – –
1905 – – – –
1900 – – – –
1895 – – – –
1890 – – – –
1885 – – – –
1880 – – – –

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Perl, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Perl?

The median living Perl is about 11 years old. Half of all living Perls are between 5 and 20 years old.

How many people named Perl are alive today?

An estimated 600 people named Perl are alive in the United States, based on 701 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Perl mean?

Perl (פּערל) is a Yiddish feminine given name.

How popular is the name Perl in 2025?

Perl ranked #4,436 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 32 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Perl?

701 babies have been named Perl in the United States since 1883, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Perl most popular?

Perl peaked in 2023, when 35 newborns received the name.

Is Perl a boy or girl name?

Perl is used for both: about 88% of babies named Perl have been girls and 12% boys.

Is the name Perl rising or falling?

Perl is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Perl become more popular?

Perl is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 38 girls named Perl in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Names like Perl

Names that sound and feel close to Perl: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Perl with similar names → More names starting with P →