Unisex name · since 1915
Pernell
Pernell has 3,037 recorded births since 1915 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1964 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #2,521 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #10,790 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,037
- born since 1915
- 1960s
- peak decade
Pernell currently ranks #10790 among unisex names in America, with 3,037 babies recorded since 1915.
Social Security Administration records show Pernell recorded 3,037 times among boys since 1915, holding rank #10790 nationally today, ahead of 23% of boys, peaking in the 1960s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1915 to 2025.
- #2,521 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- #10,790 of 13,930 2025 SSA year
- 3,037 born since 1915
- 1960s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pernell ranks #2,521 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first) and #10,790 of 13,930 among boys' names in 2025. 3,037 born since 1915, peaking in the 1960s.
- #2,521 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- #10,790 of 13,930
- 2025 SSA year
- 3,037
- born since 1915
- 1960s
- peak decade
Pernell's 3,037 recorded births place it above 94.45% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
21 jurisdictions carry state-level records, led by Virginia.
How Pernell compares
3,037 Top 17% higher than 83% of 13,930 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Pernell's all-time total is 8x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Pernell | Median boys name (Takari) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,037 | 369 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 178 | 34 | 22,252 |
Pernell's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Pernell's full recorded timeline at 1969, 51% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 49% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 2015, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1964 peak of 178 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Pernell popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1915–2025
- Peak year (1964)
- 178
- Annual births at peak, across 111 years of records
Pernell popularity over time - girls
275 total births recorded since 1915 (Pernell as girls' name)
Pernell by decade
1960s is the heaviest window (945 births, 31% of the file).
1960s was Pernell's strongest decade.
945 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Pernell births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 48
1910s
48 births
- 1920s 96
1920s
96 births
- 1930s 118
1930s
118 births
- 1940s 149
1940s
149 births
- 1950s 176
1950s
176 births
- 1960s
1960s
945 births
- 1970s
1970s
464 births
- 1980s
1980s
439 births
- 1990s 292
1990s
292 births
- 2000s 169
2000s
169 births
- 2010s 111
2010s
111 births
- 2020s 30
2020s
30 births
What this shows Peak: 1960s at 945 births (31% of all-time use).
How Pernell compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Pernell's total volume
Pernell by state
Where Pernell concentrates geographically, total births since 1915
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Virginia | | 168 | 5.5% |
| #2 | Louisiana | | 167 | 5.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 144 | 4.7% |
| #4 | Florida | | 121 | 4.0% |
| #5 | North Carolina | | 59 | 1.9% |
| #6 | California | | 53 | 1.7% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 44 | 1.4% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 39 | 1.3% |
168 of 3,037 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 21 reporting states.
Pernell appears in 21 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Pernell? ▼
Where does Pernell sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Pernell most popular? ▼
Where is Pernell most popular? ▼
Is Pernell a unisex name? ▼
How long has the name Pernell been used? ▼
What names are similar to Pernell? ▼
What to do with Pernell's data
- Pernell's decade-level peak was the 1960s (945 total births); usage has since declined to 30 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Virginia records the most Pernells (168 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Virginia names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Pernell
Nearby Names Like Pernell
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pernell
Compare Pernell side by side: Pernell vs Perry Pernell vs Percy Pernell vs Perrin
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Pernell
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Pernell: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1964)
Similar record span (~110 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, 1915–2025 (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 Pernell 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.