Pearleen
Feminine form of the name Pearl, derived from Old French perle meaning "pearl".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Pearleen. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pearleen today is around 79 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pearleen births was 1925 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pearleen. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Pearleen is about 79 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Pearleens were born before 1957.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Pearleen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1925
8 babies that year
Average age
79
years old
1955 SSA rank
#5,678
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Pearleen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pearleen from the 1910s through to the 1950s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 25 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pearleen by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Pearleen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pearleen
Pearleen is a feminine given name of English origin, derived from the combination of the words "pearl" and the suffix "-leen" or "-line." The name's roots can be traced back to the Middle English period, around the 14th to 15th centuries.
The word "pearl" itself has its origins in the Latin word "pirula," which means a small sphere or bead. Pearls, being precious gemstones formed within oysters, were highly prized and associated with elegance and refinement. The suffix "-leen" or "-line" was commonly used in English names to denote a diminutive or endearing form.
In its earliest recorded use, the name Pearleen appeared in historical records from the late 19th century, particularly in the United States. During this time, names inspired by nature and precious gemstones became increasingly popular, reflecting a romanticized view of the natural world.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the name Pearleen was Pearleen Oliver, an American actress and singer born in 1894 in Texas. She gained popularity in vaudeville and later appeared in several Hollywood films in the 1930s and 1940s.
Another notable figure bearing the name Pearleen was Pearleen Moon (1904-1980), an American artist and illustrator. She was best known for her illustrations in children's books and magazines, capturing the whimsical and imaginative worlds of childhood stories.
In the field of literature, Pearleen Hendrix (1909-1989) was an American writer and poet. She authored several collections of poetry that explored themes of nature, love, and the human experience, earning critical acclaim for her evocative and lyrical works.
The name Pearleen also found its way into the world of sports with Pearleen Sangster (born 1932), a Jamaican sprinter and hurdler. She represented Jamaica in several international competitions, including the 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games, and won multiple medals in the hurdles events.
Lastly, Pearleen Oliver (1915-1989) was an American businesswoman and entrepreneur. She founded a successful cosmetics company in the 1950s, catering to African American women, and became a pioneering figure in the beauty industry.
While the name Pearleen may have seen a decline in popularity in recent decades, its historical roots and associations with elegance, nature, and creativity remain an enduring part of its legacy.
People
Pearleen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pearleen as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pearleen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pearleen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pearleen going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Pearleen a common name?
We classify Pearleen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 51 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pearleen most popular?
The single biggest year for Pearleen was 1925, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pearleen is about 79 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Pearleen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Pearleen a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pearleen in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Pearleen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Pearleen in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Pearleen can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Pearleen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.