Pearl

“The gemstone pearl” — English origin

Girl's name · #776 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Pearl has appeared in US records since 1880 — best rank #24 (1889) · 159,088 babies named Pearl all-time · 1 in 4,500 girls born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 1,400 girls in England & Wales (2025) · about 1 in 1,400 girls in Ireland (2025) · about 1 in 3,600 girls in Canada (2024).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 31 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Pearls

Pearl S. Buck — American writer (1892–1973)
Pearl Bailey — American actress and singer (1918–1990)
Pearl Mackie — British actress
Pearl White — American actress (1889–1938)
Pearl Thusi — South African actress

In stories & tradition

Pearl Krabs — SpongeBob SquarePants · Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years
Pearl — Steven Universe
Pearl Fey — video game character

What Pearls become

Among 212 notable people named Pearl:

Entertainers appear 2.28× more often than among typical names — e.g. Pearl Bailey, American actress and singer (1918–1990).

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.