Pearl

#776 for girls in 2025, 350 births · Last seen for boys in 1983 at #6,238
Given to girls 97.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1900 · 2,512 births
Debut · girls
569 births
In top 100 · girls
47 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
159,088
since 1880

Pearl over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201966peak #24, 1900girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#776350—
2024#801351—
2023#800351—
2022#754382—
2021#740385—
2020#776351—
2019#729387—
2018#644460—
2017#651455—
2016#567549—
2015#624461—
2014#629454—
2013#672424—
2012#755368—
2011#806335—
2010#960267—
2009#983269—
2008#1,016259—
2007#991269—
2006#1,045245—
2005#1,203190—
2004#1,152196—
2003#1,084203—
2002#1,068199—
2001#1,035208—
2000#1,046200—
1999#1,191162—
1998#1,150164—
1997#1,273138—
1996#1,056175—
1995#1,113159—
1994#1,346124—
1993#1,138156—
1992#1,126157—
1991#1,215142—
1990#1,253131—
1989#1,168140—
1988#1,066148—
1987#1,081141—
1986#973162—
1985#945165—
1984#887169—
1983#880172#6,2385
1982#824190—
1981#846184—
1980#900168#5,5256
1979#995143—
1978#1,031132—
1977#1,062123#4,5827
1976#917143#4,9356
1975#891148—
1974#876148—
1973#882142#4,5056
1972#804168#4,4416
1971#842163#3,3709
1970#840161—
1969#876143#4,4045
1968#757172—
1967#738175#2,7609
1966#701195#2,32712
1965#596259#2,9828
1964#587284#2,66510
1963#590284#3,3187
1962#509364—
1961#524346#2,70610
1960#505372#3,3377
1959#518350#2,53011
1958#483388#2,26513
1957#447443#1,88718
1956#420468#2,01516
1955#405465#1,48327
1954#388492#1,95616
1953#375516#1,90017
1952#363516#2,25112
1951#347531#2,49510
1950#320588#1,74618
1949#323575#1,66720
1948#290690#1,70319
1947#293713#1,31631
1946#284677#1,50922
1945#265654#1,27027
1944#238756#1,23529
1943#223879#1,01843
1942#1911,092#1,03642
1941#211835#1,53220
1940#197907#1,25129
1939#197902#86750
1938#1891,005#95144
1937#1871,024#93245
1936#1721,120#98940
1935#1671,187#85853
1934#1541,338#1,05938
1933#1431,384#87550
1932#1381,618#98045
1931#1371,648#77565
1930#1212,069#78267
1929#1142,172#73473
1928#1102,367#70281
1927#1022,718#72680
1926#962,899#76571
1925#903,213#80168
1924#783,635#71685
1923#783,543#71183
1922#713,848#74878
1921#654,175#69886
1920#624,204#66791
1919#564,273#61298
1918#564,521#611101
1917#574,232#65084
1916#574,073#71570
1915#563,976#57697
1914#563,223#67357
1913#552,756#51370
1912#542,528#55253
1911#482,075#51433
1910#392,177#59823
1909#402,048#37141
1908#392,075#38936
1907#352,108#36637
1906#352,035#35534
1905#312,108#39329
1904#302,015#36830
1903#272,046#31236
1902#282,100#33135
1901#311,866#27738
1900#242,512#33741
1899#271,999#33129
1898#262,158#29839
1897#252,076#26344
1896#252,101#30637
1895#261,958#26645
1894#281,789#23155
1893#261,796#21962
1892#261,831#29239
1891#271,605#29731
1890#241,741#24348
1889#241,588#22950
1888#261,591#21269
1887#251,316#19164
1886#291,204#18273
1885#261,146#21257
1884#251,138#20962
1883#29886#20057
1882#33824#21558
1881#38641#21152
1880#47569#19662
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Pearl was already there! It came in at #47, and was given to 569 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1967–1981, when fewer than 190 girls a year got the name.

Where Pearl is popular in 1966

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedNHWashington: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedWAIdaho: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedIDMontana: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedMNIllinois: #938 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 14,664 girlsILWisconsin: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedWIMichigan: #570 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 7,353 girlsMINew York: #566 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 5,833 girlsNYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedRIOregon: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedSDIowa: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedIAIndiana: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedINOhio: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedOHPennsylvania: #554 for girls · 13 births · 1 in 6,887 girlsPANew Jersey: #560 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 6,450 girlsNJConnecticut: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedCTCalifornia: #702 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 7,688 girlsCAUtah: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedUTColorado: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedCONebraska: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedNEMissouri: #585 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 6,915 girlsMOKentucky: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedWVVirginia: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedVAMaryland: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedDEArizona: #434 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 2,559 girlsAZNew Mexico: #279 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,242 girlsNMKansas: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedKSArkansas: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedARTennessee: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedTNNorth Carolina: #495 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 4,961 girlsNCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedOKLouisiana: #549 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 4,577 girlsLAMississippi: #500 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 3,900 girlsMSAlabama: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedALGeorgia: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedHITexas: #555 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 4,376 girlsTXFlorida: fewer than 5 girls named Pearl, so not publishedFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. New Mexico#279 · 1 in 1,242
  2. Arizona#434 · 1 in 2,559
  3. North Carolina#495 · 1 in 4,961
  4. Mississippi#500 · 1 in 3,900
  5. Louisiana#549 · 1 in 4,577

Best ever in a state: #13 in Wyoming, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
New Mexico#27971 in 1,242
Arizona#43451 in 2,559
North Carolina#49581 in 4,961
Mississippi#50051 in 3,900
Louisiana#54971 in 4,577
Pennsylvania#554131 in 6,887
Texas#555211 in 4,376
New Jersey#56081 in 6,450
New York#566251 in 5,833
Michigan#570101 in 7,353
Missouri#58551 in 6,915
California#702201 in 7,688
Illinois#93861 in 14,664
Alabama———
Alaska———
Arkansas———
Colorado———
Connecticut———
Delaware———
District of Columbia———
Florida———
Georgia———
Hawaii———
Idaho———
Indiana———
Iowa———
Kansas———
Kentucky———
Maine———
Maryland———
Massachusetts———
Minnesota———
Montana———
Nebraska———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
North Dakota———
Ohio———
Oklahoma———
Oregon———
Rhode Island———
South Carolina———
South Dakota———
Tennessee———
Utah———
Vermont———
Virginia———
Washington———
West Virginia———
Wisconsin———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Pearl
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 25 spots since 2024 (#801 → #776)
  • Same as 2020 (#776)
  • 152 spots since 2015 (#624 → #776)
  • Biggest jump: 154 spots in 2011 (#960 → #806)
  • Biggest drop: 145 spots in 1977 (#917 → #1,062)
Rise & fade · girls
20 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1900 at #24 (2,512 births)
  • Births halved by 1935, 35 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 47 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 47 yrs · run 1880–1926
  • Top 1,000: 123 yrs · run 1880–1976
Share of babies · girls
1 in 109
  • Highest: 1 in 109 girls born in 1890 were named Pearl (0.91%)
  • Latest: 1 in 4,592 girls born in 2025 (0.02%)
  • Its best rank, #24 in 1900, was only 1 in 119 (0.84%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1910s
  • 21.3% of all girls named Pearl (33,834) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s10,903#24 (1889)#30
1890s19,054#24 (1890)#26
1900s20,913#24 (1900)#32
1910s33,834#39 (1910)#53
1920s32,774#62 (1920)#87
1930s13,295#121 (1930)#161
1940s7,778#191 (1942)#252
1950s4,757#320 (1950)#407
1960s2,594#505 (1960)#638
1970s1,471#804 (1972)#914
1980s1,639#824 (1982)#957
1990s1,508#1,056 (1996)#1,186
2000s2,238#983 (2009)#1,062
2010s4,160#567 (2016)#704
2020s2,170#740 (2021)#775

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Pearl in 1966

girls
#701
195 births · 1 in 8,678 girls
boys
#2,327
12 births · 1 in 148,622 boys

Top girls' names in 1966

  1. #1Lisa56,918
  2. #2Kimberly32,232
  3. #3Mary28,890
  4. #4Michelle27,159
  5. #5Karen25,450
  6. #6Susan23,776
  7. #7Patricia20,112
  8. #8Tammy18,621
  9. #9Angela18,532
  10. #10Jennifer18,215
  11. #701Pearl195

Top boys' names in 1966

  1. #1Michael79,985
  2. #2David66,408
  3. #3James65,163
  4. #4John65,016
  5. #5Robert59,317
  6. #6William38,237
  7. #7Mark34,801
  8. #8Richard34,457
  9. #9Jeffrey30,200
  10. #10Thomas29,003
  11. #2,327Pearl12
More about 1966

girls

1,692,177 girls got a published name in 1966; 1 in 8,678 of them was named Pearl, which outranked 90.8% of the 7,624 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Pearl
  1. #698Lorene196
  2. #698Maryanne196
  3. #698Starla196
  4. #701Pearl195
  5. #701Carmela195
  6. #703Dara194
  7. #703Gabrielle194
  8. #705Carolina193

Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1965
Risers
  1. ↑ 6,121Tabatha#6,539 → #418
  2. ↑ 1,469Tabitha#1,993 → #524
  3. ↑ 1,325Joell#2,247 → #922
  4. ↑ 1,047Tatia#1,715 → #668
  5. ↑ 969Nichole#1,829 → #860
Fallers
  1. ↓ 398Barb#815 → #1,213
  2. ↓ 310Jewell#952 → #1,262
  3. ↓ 288Roxie#944 → #1,232
  4. ↓ 284Aretha#818 → #1,102
  5. ↓ 280Kecia#392 → #672

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,783,461 boys got a published name in 1966; 1 in 148,622 of them was named Pearl, which outranked 48.7% of the 4,540 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 28.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Pearl
  1. #2,216Zackery13
  2. #2,216Zebedee13
  3. #2,216Zenon13
  4. #2,327Pearl12
  5. #2,327Adonis12
  6. #2,327Adrien12
  7. #2,327Albino12
  8. #2,465Abdul11
  9. #2,465Aidan11
  10. #2,465Andrei11

Tied with 137 names at #2,327; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1965
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,207Jarrod#1,720 → #513
  2. ↑ 893Heath#1,254 → #361
  3. ↑ 467Illya#1,294 → #827
  4. ↑ 419Jarrett#1,294 → #875
  5. ↑ 399Reynold#1,360 → #961
Fallers
  1. ↓ 464Quint#986 → #1,450
  2. ↓ 303Dario#934 → #1,237
  3. ↓ 299Darran#1,000 → #1,299
  4. ↓ 281Artie#897 → #1,178
  5. ↓ 268Daryn#716 → #984

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1966 →