Total births
616
Unisex name · since 1929
Perl
Perl has 616 recorded births since 1929 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2023 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5325
- among girls today
- 616
- born since 1929
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Perl is the #5325 most popular unisex name in the U.S. today, with 616 recorded since 1929.
Perl has 616 recorded births among girls since 1929, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #5325 as of the latest data, more common than 70% of girls, busiest in the 2010s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1929 to 2025.
- #5325 among girls today
- 616 born since 1929
- 2010s peak decade
- 70% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Perl is currently the #5325 unisex name in America, more common than 70% of girls - 616 born since 1929, peaking in the 2010s.
- #5325
- among girls today
- 616
- born since 1929
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 70%
- more common than other girls
Perl vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#5325
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 70% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
35% of everyone ever named Perl was born in this single decade.
2023
Single peak year
35 babies were named Perl in 2023 - its busiest year on record.
How Perl compares
616 Top 41% higher than 59% 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
Perl's all-time total is 61% above the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Perl | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 616 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 35 | 48 | 19,840 |
Perl's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Perl's full recorded timeline at 2006, 72% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 28% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1929, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2023 peak of 35 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Perl at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2023
Current rank
#5,325
Active since
1929
Perl popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1929–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 35
- Annual births at peak, across 97 years of records
Perl popularity over time - boys
85 total births recorded since 1883 (Perl as boys' name)
Perl by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Perl's strongest decade.
216 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 35% of all-time use.
Perl births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1920s 5
1920s
5 births
- 1960s 5
1960s
5 births
- 1970s 11
1970s
11 births
- 1980s 23
1980s
23 births
- 1990s 50
1990s
50 births
- 2000s
2000s
140 births
- 2010s
2010s
216 births
- 2020s
2020s
166 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 216 births (35% of all-time use).
How Perl 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 Perl's total volume
Perl vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Perl by state
Where Perl concentrates geographically, total births since 1929
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 385 | 62.5% |
New York share of Perl's total US births 62.5%
385 of 616 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Perl? ▼
616 babies have been named Perl since 1929. It currently ranks #5325 among girls. The peak year was 2023 with 35 births.
When was Perl most popular? ▼
Perl was most popular in the 2010s decade with 216 total births. The single peak year was 2023.
Where is Perl most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Perl are New York (385 births).
Is Perl a unisex name? ▼
Yes, Perl is used for both boys and girls. As a girl's name it has 616 births, and as a boy's name it has 85 births.
How long has the name Perl been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Perl since 1929 -- 97 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Perl? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Perla, Persephone, Perry, Peri, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Perl's data
- Perl's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (216 total births) through the 2020s (166) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Perls (385 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 Perl
Nearby Names Like Perl
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Perl
Perla Girl
#1307 20,806 births
Persephone Girl
#736 4,960 births
Perry Girl
#1913 3,691 births
Peri Girl
#5327 2,465 births
Perri Girl
#3653 2,448 births
Compare Perl side by side: Perl vs Perla Perl vs Persephone Perl vs Perry
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Perl
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, 1929–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Perl: #5325 Unisex Name - 616 Births, Peak 2023." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/perl. 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 Perl 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.