What Does the Name Pearl Mean?

Pearl is a girl's name of English origin meaning “pearl (the gemstone).”

Updated June 2026

Name	Pearl
Gender	female
Origin	English
Meaning	pearl (the gemstone)
Variants	Perle, Pearle, Perla, Pearla
Popularity	A turn-of-the-20th-century favorite now returning as a vintage revival; ranks in the US top 500.

The meaning and origin of Pearl

The name Pearl means “pearl (the gemstone)” and has English origins. An English name taken from the word for the lustrous gem formed inside an oyster, used among the jewel names that became fashionable in the Victorian era. It can also be a vernacular form of Margaret, which derives from a Greek word for 'pearl.'

Variants and related names

Pearl is related to several other names you may recognize: Perle, Pearle, Perla, Pearla. These share a common root or are spelling and language variants of the same name.

How popular is the name Pearl?

A turn-of-the-20th-century favorite now returning as a vintage revival; ranks in the US top 500.

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