Total births
20,806
Girls' name · since 1918
Perla
Perla has 20,806 recorded births since 1918 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2003 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #1307
- among girls today
- 20,806
- born since 1918
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Perla currently ranks #1307 among girls' names in America, with 20,806 babies recorded since 1918.
Perla has 20,806 recorded births among girls since 1918, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #1307 as of the latest data, more common than 93% of girls, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1918 to 2025.
- #1307 among girls today
- 20,806 born since 1918
- 2000s peak decade
- 93% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Perla is currently the #1307 girls' name in America, more common than 93% of girls - 20,806 born since 1918, peaking in the 2000s.
- #1307
- among girls today
- 20,806
- born since 1918
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other girls
Perla vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#1307
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 93% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Perla was born in this single decade.
2003
Single peak year
1,109 babies were named Perla in 2003 - its busiest year on record.
How Perla compares
20,806 Top 6% higher than 94% 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
Perla's all-time total is 54x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Perla | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 20,806 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 1,109 | 48 | 19,840 |
Perla's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Perla's SSA record in two at 1976 and the more recent half accounts for 95% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 5%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1920, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 2003 peak of 1,109, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Perla at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2003
Current rank
#1,307
Active since
1918
Perla popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1918–2025
- Peak year (2003)
- 1,109
- Annual births at peak, across 108 years of records
Perla popularity over time - boys
30 total births recorded since 1986 (Perla as boys' name)
Perla by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Perla's strongest decade.
7,485 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Perla births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 7
1910s
7 births
- 1920s 49
1920s
49 births
- 1930s 51
1930s
51 births
- 1940s 63
1940s
63 births
- 1950s 150
1950s
150 births
- 1960s 279
1960s
279 births
- 1970s 776
1970s
776 births
- 1980s 1,991
1980s
1,991 births
- 1990s
1990s
4,586 births
- 2000s
2000s
7,485 births
- 2010s
2010s
4,203 births
- 2020s 1,166
2020s
1,166 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 7,485 births (36% of all-time use).
How Perla 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 Perla's total volume
Perla vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Perla by state
Where Perla concentrates geographically, total births since 1918
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 6,542 | 31.4% |
| #2 | Texas | | 5,290 | 25.4% |
| #3 | Arizona | | 892 | 4.3% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 765 | 3.7% |
| #5 | New York | | 639 | 3.1% |
| #6 | Florida | | 623 | 3.0% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 492 | 2.4% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 425 | 2.0% |
California share of Perla's total US births 31.4%
Even split
6,542 of 20,806 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 38 reporting states.
Perla appears in 38 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Perla? ▼
Since 1918, Social Security records show 20,806 babies named Perla. Today it holds rank #1307 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2003, with 1,109 births.
When was Perla most popular? ▼
Perla was most popular in the 2000s decade with 7,485 total births. The single peak year was 2003.
Where is Perla most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Perla are California (6,542 births), Texas (5,290 births), Arizona (892 births).
How long has the name Perla been used? ▼
Perla has been recorded in Social Security data since 1918, spanning 108 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Perla? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Persephone, Perry, Peri, Perri, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Perla's data
- Perla's decade-level peak was the 2000s (7,485 total births); usage has since declined to 1,166 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Perlas (6,542 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Perla
Nearby Names Like Perla
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Perla
Persephone Girl
#736 4,960 births
Perry Girl
#1913 3,691 births
Peri Girl
#5327 2,465 births
Perri Girl
#3653 2,448 births
Perel Girl
#3100 898 births
Compare Perla side by side: Perla vs Persephone Perla vs Perry Perla vs Peri
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Perla
Selina #1306
19,225 births · Peak 1995
Adalina #1308
2,335 births · Peak 2024
Annette #1305
169,296 births · Peak 1960
Annelise #1309
6,523 births · Peak 2025
Harlem #1304
1,745 births · Peak 2024
Kamilla #1310
3,203 births · Peak 2020
Monserrat #1303
8,070 births · Peak 2014
Amethyst #1311
4,560 births · Peak 2022
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, 1918–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Perla: #1307 Girls' Name - 20,806 Births, Peak 2003." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/perla. 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 Perla 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.