Total births
1,958
Girls' name · since 1906
Pearlene
1,958 babies named Pearlene in U.S. Social Security records since 1906, with the highest year being 1938. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 1,958
- total births
- 1906–1978
- years on record
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 25%
- born in that decade
1,958 girls have been named Pearlene since 1906, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Pearlene has 1,958 recorded births among girls since 1906, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1930s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1906 to 1978.
- 1,958 total births
- 1906–1978 years on record
- 1930s peak decade
- 25% born in that decade
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
1,958 girls have been named Pearlene since 1906, peaking in the 1930s, last recorded in 1978.
- 1,958
- total births
- 1906–1978
- years on record
- 1930s
- peak decade
- 25%
- born in that decade
1930s
Peak decade
25% of everyone ever named Pearlene was born in this single decade.
1938
Single peak year
64 babies were named Pearlene in 1938 - its busiest year on record.
Pearlene's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Pearlene's SSA record in two at 1939 and the more recent half accounts for 52% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 48%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1906, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1938 peak of 64, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Pearlene at a glance
Last recorded 1978Peak year
1938
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1906
Pearlene popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1906–1978
- Peak year (1938)
- 64
- Annual births at peak, across 73 years of records
Pearlene by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1930s was Pearlene's strongest decade.
497 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 25% of all-time use.
Pearlene births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 10
1900s
10 births
- 1910s 168
1910s
168 births
- 1920s
1920s
331 births
- 1930s
1930s
497 births
- 1940s
1940s
481 births
- 1950s
1950s
349 births
- 1960s 105
1960s
105 births
- 1970s 17
1970s
17 births
What this shows Peak: 1930s at 497 births (25% of all-time use).
How Pearlene 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 Pearlene's total volume
Pearlene vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Pearlene by state
Where Pearlene concentrates geographically, total births since 1906
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | North Carolina | | 120 | 6.1% |
| #2 | Texas | | 115 | 5.9% |
| #3 | Mississippi | | 109 | 5.6% |
| #4 | Arkansas | | 86 | 4.4% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 83 | 4.2% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 64 | 3.3% |
| #7 | South Carolina | | 44 | 2.2% |
| #8 | Oklahoma | | 16 | 0.8% |
North Carolina share of Pearlene's total US births 6.1%
Even split
120 of 1,958 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Pearlene appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pearlene? ▼
1,958 babies have been named Pearlene since 1906. It was last recorded in 1978. The peak year was 1938 with 64 births.
When was Pearlene most popular? ▼
Pearlene was most popular in the 1930s decade with 497 total births. The single peak year was 1938.
Where is Pearlene most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Pearlene are North Carolina (120 births), Texas (115 births), Mississippi (109 births).
How long has the name Pearlene been used? ▼
Pearlene has been recorded in Social Security data since 1906, spanning 73 years of data through 1978.
What names are similar to Pearlene? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Pearl, Pearlie, Pearline, Pearle, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Pearlene's data
- Pearlene's decade-level peak was the 1930s (497 total births); usage has since declined to 17 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- North Carolina records the most Pearlenes (120 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. North Carolina 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 Pearlene
Nearby Names Like Pearlene
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pearlene
Pearl Girl
#801 159,088 births
Pearlie Girl
18,129 births
Pearline Girl
6,262 births
Pearle Girl
2,821 births
Pearly Girl
1,689 births
Compare Pearlene side by side: Pearlene vs Pearl Pearlene vs Pearlie Pearlene vs Pearline
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Samirah #2950
1,958 births · Peak 2013
Abigael #3929
1,959 births · Peak 2009
Fredericka
1,957 births · Peak 1947
Kendell #9077
1,957 births · Peak 2004
Deyanira #11290
1,957 births · Peak 1993
Francheska #7335
1,960 births · Peak 1992
Syreeta
1,960 births · Peak 1980
Maye #8951
1,956 births · Peak 1921
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, 1906–1978 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Pearlene: Baby Name Since 1906 - 1,958 Births, Peak 1938." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/pearlene. 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 Pearlene 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.