Total births
159,088
Girls' name · since 1880
Pearl
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 159,088 babies named Pearl, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #801
- among girls today
- 159,088
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Pearl currently ranks #801 among girls' names in America, with 159,088 babies recorded since 1880.
Pearl has 159,088 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #801 as of the latest data, more common than 95% of girls, busiest in the 1910s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #801 among girls today
- 159,088 born since 1880
- 1910s peak decade
- 95% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Pearl is currently the #801 girls' name in America, more common than 95% of girls - 159,088 born since 1880, peaking in the 1910s.
- #801
- among girls today
- 159,088
- born since 1880
- 1910s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other girls
Pearl vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#801
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 95% of names given to girls today.
1910s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Pearl was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
4,521 babies were named Pearl in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Pearl compares
159,088 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Pearl's all-time total is 416x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Pearl | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 159,088 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 4,521 | 48 | 19,840 |
Pearl's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Pearl's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 12% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 88%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1977, with only 123 births recorded -- set against the 1918 peak of 4,521, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Pearl at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1918
Current rank
#801
Active since
1880
Pearl popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 4,521
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Pearl popularity over time - boys
3,922 total births recorded since 1880 (Pearl as boys' name)
Pearl by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1910s was Pearl's strongest decade.
33,834 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Pearl births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 10,903
1880s
10,903 births
- 1890s
1890s
19,054 births
- 1900s
1900s
20,913 births
- 1910s
1910s
33,834 births
- 1920s
1920s
32,774 births
- 1930s 13,295
1930s
13,295 births
- 1940s 7,778
1940s
7,778 births
- 1950s 4,757
1950s
4,757 births
- 1960s 2,594
1960s
2,594 births
- 1970s 1,471
1970s
1,471 births
- 1980s 1,639
1980s
1,639 births
- 1990s 1,508
1990s
1,508 births
- 2000s 2,238
2000s
2,238 births
- 2010s 4,160
2010s
4,160 births
- 2020s 2,170
2020s
2,170 births
What this shows Peak: 1910s at 33,834 births (21% of all-time use).
How Pearl compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Pearl's total volume
Pearl vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Pearl by state
Where Pearl concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 11,061 | 7.0% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 8,554 | 5.4% |
| #3 | Illinois | | 4,969 | 3.1% |
| #4 | California | | 4,724 | 3.0% |
| #5 | Texas | | 4,571 | 2.9% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 4,238 | 2.7% |
| #7 | Virginia | | 3,906 | 2.5% |
| #8 | Ohio | | 3,311 | 2.1% |
New York share of Pearl's total US births 7.0%
Even split
11,061 of 159,088 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Pearl appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pearl? ▼
Pearl has been given to 159,088 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #801 as of the latest data. 4,521 babies were born in 1918, its single highest year.
When was Pearl most popular? ▼
Pearl was most popular in the 1910s decade with 33,834 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Pearl most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Pearl are New York (11,061 births), Pennsylvania (8,554 births), Illinois (4,969 births).
How long has the name Pearl been used? ▼
Pearl has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Pearl? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Pearlie, Pearline, Pearle, Pearlene, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Pearl's data
- Pearl's decade-level peak was the 1910s (33,834 total births); usage has since declined to 2,170 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Pearls (11,061 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Pearl
Nearby Names Like Pearl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pearl
Pearlie Girl
18,129 births
Pearline Girl
6,262 births
Pearle Girl
2,821 births
Pearlene Girl
1,958 births
Pearly Girl
1,689 births
Compare Pearl side by side: Pearl vs Pearlie Pearl vs Pearline Pearl vs Pearle
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Pearl
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Pearl: #801 Girls' Name - 159,088 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/pearl. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Pearl draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.