Holding steady.
Popularity of Perle since 1885
Babies named Perle per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1916, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Perle's real moment was 1902.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 22 | 5 |
| 1890s | 29 | 6 |
| 1900s | 41 | 0 |
| 1910s | 84 | 41 |
| 1920s | 55 | 29 |
| 1930s | 12 | 0 |
| 1940s | 0 | 5 |
| 1950s | 0 | 0 |
| 1960s | 0 | 0 |
| 1970s | 0 | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 | 0 |
| 1990s | 0 | 0 |
| 2000s | 0 | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Perle is the French form of the gemstone name Pearl, which saw its highest popularity in the United States during the early 20th century. According to Social Security data, the name's peak year was 1902, when it was given to a small number of newborns. Since then, usage has remained stable but extremely rare, with no occurrences recorded in recent decades large enough to calculate a rank or one-in-N frequency. The name was first recorded in the U.S. in 1886, and it never broke into the top 1000. Though it has been used across several states, no single state shows a notable concentration. Perle remains a vintage choice for parents seeking an unusual jewel name with French flair.
Perle is the French word for pearl, derived from Latin perna (a type of shellfish). As a given name, it has been used in English-speaking countries since the 19th century, often as a variant of Pearl. It saw modest use in the United States in the early 1900s.
“Perle” around the world
Where Perle lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
50
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Variants: Pearl
Sibling names for Perle
Names that share Perle's style, for a brother or sister.
