Holding steady.
Popularity of Pearlee since 1891
Babies named Pearlee per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1925, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Pearlee's real moment was 1891.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 6 |
| 1900s | 21 |
| 1910s | 69 |
| 1920s | 90 |
| 1930s | 32 |
| 1940s | 5 |
| 1950s | 7 |
| 1960s | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Pearlee is an exceedingly rare American coinage from the 1890s, first recorded in 1891. It combines the gemstone name Pearl with the ornamental suffix -lee, a pattern popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Unlike more common gem compound names like Pearlie or Pearley, Pearlee never achieved widespread use; it has never appeared in the Social Security Administration's top 1000 names. Its peak year remains 1891, after which usage dwindled to near zero. The name has remained stable in extreme rarity, with no significant revival. While no top states are recorded for Pearlee due to its scarcity, similar names like Pearl and Ruby were widely used across the country. Pearlee's trajectory shows a consistent but minimal presence, reflecting its status as a niche historical curiosity rather than a mainstream choice.
Pearlee likely arose in the late 19th century as a feminine name combining Pearl, the jewel name, with the fashionable suffix -lee (a variant of -ly or -leigh). The name appears sporadically in U.S. records beginning in the 1890s, mirroring the era's trend for elaborate compound names derived from existing vocabulary.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Pearl, Lee, Lea
Sibling names for Pearlee
Names that share Pearlee's style, for a brother or sister.
