Holding steady.
Popularity of Pearlena since 1905
Babies named Pearlena per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1937, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Pearlena's real moment was 1905.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 12 |
| 1910s | 48 |
| 1920s | 88 |
| 1930s | 83 |
| 1940s | 52 |
| 1950s | 47 |
| 1960s | 5 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
The name Pearlena first appeared in U.S. birth records in 1905, which remains its peak year of use. However, it has never broken into the top 1,000 names, and its one-in-N rate is effectively zero given its rarity. Its trajectory has been stable but very low, with sporadic usage across the decades, never exceeding a handful of births per year. Despite its scarcity, Pearlena offers a distinctive choice for parents seeking a vintage, elaborately feminine name without common usage.
Pearlena is a modern coinage, formed by combining the jewel name Pearl with the popular feminine suffix -ena (as seen in Magdalena or Helena). It first appeared in the United States in the early 1900s, likely as a decorative elaboration of Pearl, which itself derives from the Latin 'perla' meaning 'pearl'. The name has never ranked among the top 1,000 names in the U.S. and has seen only occasional use, primarily in the early 20th century.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Pearl, Lena, Pearlie
Sibling names for Pearlena
Names that share Pearlena's style, for a brother or sister.
