Pebbles
A small smooth rounded stone traditionally used as a sign of endurance.
Name Census estimates that about 813 living Americans carry the first name Pebbles. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Pebbles today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pebbles births was 1991 (50 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pebbles. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Pebbles with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
813
~ 1 in 421,592 Americans
Peak year
1991
50 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2014 SSA rank
#14,218
Tracked since 1963
Census
Pebbles in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 747 people with the first name Pebbles, which placed it at #15,407 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#15,407
National first-name rank
People counted
747
747 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
44.3% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pebbles
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Pebbles is White at 44.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.3%) and Hispanic (18.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Pebbles described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Pebbles at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White44.3% · 331
- Black or African American27.3% · 204
- Hispanic or Latino18.9% · 141
- Two or more races5.5% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.8% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 9
Popularity
Pebbles: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pebbles from the 1960s through to the 2010s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 247 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pebbles 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 Pebbles during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pebbles' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Pebbles, while Georgia, Ohio, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pebbles
The name Pebbles has its origins in the English language, where it refers to the small, rounded stones found in bodies of water or on the ground. The name is believed to have emerged as a nickname or pet name in the 19th century, likely inspired by the endearing nature and smooth texture of these natural objects.
While the name Pebbles does not have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its connection to the natural world and its playful, whimsical quality have made it a popular choice for parents seeking a unique and nature-inspired name for their children.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pebbles was in 1888, when it was given to Pebbles Howell, a British artist and illustrator known for her work in children's books. Howell, born in 1867, helped popularize the name through her creative endeavors.
Another notable figure with the name Pebbles was Pebbles Flintstone, the daughter of Fred and Wilma Flintstone in the popular animated series "The Flintstones." While a fictional character, Pebbles Flintstone, introduced in 1963, brought the name into the spotlight and contributed to its growing popularity in the latter half of the 20th century.
In the world of music, Pebbles Reid, an American singer and songwriter born in 1964, achieved success as part of the R&B group Mercedes. Known for her powerful vocals and stage presence, Reid helped to raise the profile of the name Pebbles among music fans.
Moving to the realm of sports, Pebbles Jones, born in 1972, was a professional basketball player who played in the WNBA for several teams, including the Phoenix Mercury and the New York Liberty. Her athletic achievements and presence on the court helped to showcase the name Pebbles to a wider audience.
Lastly, Pebbles Trippett, born in 1982, is a British actress known for her roles in various television series and films. Her work in the entertainment industry has further contributed to the recognition and popularity of the name Pebbles in recent decades.
People
Pebbles + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pebbles 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
Pebbles: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pebbles?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 813 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pebbles 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 421,592 US residents.
Is Pebbles a common name?
We classify Pebbles as "Very Rare". It ranks above 88.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 877 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pebbles most popular?
The single biggest year for Pebbles was 1991, when 50 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pebbles is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Pebbles in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 747 people with the name Pebbles, or 0.25 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #15,407 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Pebbles in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Pebbles?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Pebbles leans strongly female. 728 people counted with this name were female (98.0%), compared with 15 male bearers (2.0%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Pebbles?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Pebbles is White at 44.3%. The next largest groups are Black (27.3%) and Hispanic (18.9%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Pebbles most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Pebbles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 44.3% (331 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Pebbles in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Pebbles a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pebbles 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 Pebbles still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Pebbles 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 Pebbles 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.
How common is the name Pebbles?
For a quick modern take, check how many people share the name Pebbles on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.