Girls' name · since 1880
Pearlie
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 18,129 babies named Pearlie, peaking in 1937. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #1,136 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 18,129
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Pearlie is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 18,129 have been recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pearlie has been recorded 18,129 times among girls since 1880, though it is not among the currently most-used girls names, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2023.
- #1,136 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 18,129 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pearlie ranks #1,136 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 18,129 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #1,136 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 18,129
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
Pearlie's 18,129 recorded births place it above 98.42% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
18 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Mississippi.
Pearlie's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Pearlie's full recorded timeline at 1939, 37% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 63% in the earlier half -- the name was more prevalent in its earlier era than it is today. Its quietest year on record was 1994, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1937 peak of 390 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Pearlie popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2023
- Peak year (1937)
- 390
- Annual births at peak, across 144 years of records
Pearlie popularity over time - boys
699 total births recorded since 1881 (Pearlie as boys' name)
Pearlie by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (3,471 births, 19% of the file).
1920s was Pearlie's strongest decade.
3,471 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 19% of all-time use.
Pearlie births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 413
1880s
413 births
- 1890s 944
1890s
944 births
- 1900s 1,276
1900s
1,276 births
- 1910s
1910s
2,428 births
- 1920s
1920s
3,471 births
- 1930s
1930s
3,258 births
- 1940s
1940s
3,315 births
- 1950s
1950s
1,972 births
- 1960s 685
1960s
685 births
- 1970s 206
1970s
206 births
- 1980s 90
1980s
90 births
- 1990s 40
1990s
40 births
- 2000s 5
2000s
5 births
- 2010s 20
2010s
20 births
- 2020s 6
2020s
6 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 3,471 births (19% of all-time use).
How Pearlie 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 Pearlie's total volume
Pearlie by state
Where Pearlie concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Mississippi | | 2,247 | 12.4% |
| #2 | Alabama | | 1,960 | 10.8% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 1,671 | 9.2% |
| #4 | Texas | | 1,411 | 7.8% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 1,308 | 7.2% |
| #6 | Arkansas | | 1,010 | 5.6% |
| #7 | Louisiana | | 941 | 5.2% |
| #8 | South Carolina | | 808 | 4.5% |
2,247 of 18,129 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Pearlie appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pearlie? ▼
Where does Pearlie sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Pearlie most popular? ▼
Where is Pearlie most popular? ▼
How long has the name Pearlie been used? ▼
What names are similar to Pearlie? ▼
What to do with Pearlie's data
- Pearlie's decade-level peak was the 1920s (3,471 total births); usage has since declined to 6 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Mississippi records the most Pearlies (2,247 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Mississippi names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Pearlie
Nearby Names Like Pearlie
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pearlie
Compare Pearlie side by side: Pearlie vs Pearl Pearlie vs Pearline Pearlie vs Pearle
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Pearlie: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1937)
Similar record span (~143 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1880–2023 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Pearlie 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 August 2026.