Pearl is a unique and captivating female given name of English origin. It is derived from the precious gemstone pearl, which is formed within the shell of certain mollusks. The name Pearl has been used throughout history, with its earliest known usage dating back to the 13th century in England.
The meaning of the name Pearl is "precious stone." Throughout history, pearls have been highly valued and considered symbols of wisdom, purity, and beauty. In many cultures, they are associated with the moon and its phases due to their lustrous appearance and the fact that they are formed inside a shell, much like how moonlight reflects off water.
One notable historical figure named Pearl is Pearl S. Buck, an American writer who won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel "The Good Earth" in 1932. Buck was born in 1892 in Hillsboro, West Virginia, to missionary parents and spent much of her early life in China. Her experiences living abroad inspired many of her works, including her most famous novels.
In literature, the name Pearl appears prominently in John Steinbeck's novel "East of Eden," published in 1952. The main character, Samuel Hamilton, has a daughter named Pearl, who plays an essential role in the story and is considered one of the novel's central characters.
Today, the name Pearl continues to be used for girls born around the world, with its popularity varying by region and culture. It remains a timeless choice for parents seeking a unique and meaningful name for their daughters.
Based on the statistics provided, we can observe the trends and patterns of the name Pearle in the United States over several decades.
From 1880 to 1934, there was a significant number of babies named Pearle each year, with the highest peak being in 1915 with 92 births. However, after 1934, the popularity of the name began to decline significantly, with fewer than 10 babies named Pearle born each year from 1935 to 1964.
There was a brief resurgence in the use of the name Pearle in the late 1950s and early 1960s, with around 7 births each year between 1954 and 1964. However, after this period, the name once again fell out of favor, with only a handful of babies named Pearle born each year from 1965 to 2018.
In recent years, there has been a slight increase in the popularity of the name Pearle, with 12 births recorded in 2017 and 6 births in 2018. Overall, however, the name Pearle remains relatively uncommon, with a total of 2,821 babies named Pearle born in the United States over the entire period covered by these statistics.