Girls' name · since 1916
Perlene
Since 1916, U.S. Social Security records show 56 babies named Perlene, peaking in 1923. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #33,750 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 56
- born since 1916
- 1920s
- peak decade
Perlene is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 56 have been recorded since 1916.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Perlene has been recorded 56 times among girls since 1916, 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 1916 to 1946.
- #33,750 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 56 born since 1916
- 1920s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Perlene ranks #33,750 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 56 born since 1916, peaking in the 1920s.
- #33,750 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 56
- born since 1916
- 1920s
- peak decade
Perlene's 56 recorded births place it above 53.28% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Perlene's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Perlene splits its recorded history at 1925: 50% of all births land in the more recent half, 50% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1930 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1923 peak of 8 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Perlene popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1916–1946
- Peak year (1923)
- 8
- Annual births at peak, across 31 years of records
Perlene by decade
1920s is the heaviest window (34 births, 61% of the file).
1920s was Perlene's strongest decade.
34 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 61% of all-time use.
Perlene births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 7
1910s
7 births
- 1920s
1920s
34 births
- 1930s 10
1930s
10 births
- 1940s 5
1940s
5 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 34 births (61% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Perlene? ▼
Where does Perlene sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Perlene most popular? ▼
How long has the name Perlene been used? ▼
What names are similar to Perlene? ▼
What to do with Perlene's data
- Perlene's decade-level peak was the 1920s (34 total births); usage has since declined to 5 in the 1940s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Perlene
Nearby Names Like Perlene
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Perlene
Compare Perlene side by side: Perlene vs Perla Perlene vs Persephone Perlene vs Perry
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Perlene: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1923)
Similar record span (~30 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, 1916–1946 (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 Perlene 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.