Perla
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "pearl".
Name Census estimates that about 19,993 living Americans carry the first name Perla. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Perla today is around 25 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Perla births was 2003 (1,109 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Perla. 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.
People living today
20K
~ 1 in 17,144 Americans
Peak year
2003
1,109 babies that year
Average age
25
years old
1996 SSA rank
#1,309
Tracked since 1918
Gender
Gender distribution for Perla
Out of the 20,699 babies given the name Perla since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Perla as a male name
- Ranked #10,130 in 1996
- 5 male births in 1996
- Peak: 1991 (8 births)
Perla as a female name
- Ranked #1,309 in 2024
- 175 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2003 (1,109 births)
Popularity
Perla: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Perla from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 7,485 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Perla 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 Perla during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Perlas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 38 states and territories. California, Texas, Arizona recorded the most babies named Perla, while Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 491 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Perla
The name Perla has its origins in the Spanish language, derived from the word "perla," which means "pearl." This name was likely first used during the medieval period in Spain and other Spanish-speaking regions.
Pearls have been regarded as precious and valuable throughout history, and the name Perla may have been given to express a desire for the child to be as rare and beautiful as a pearl. It could also have been used as a descriptive name for a child with particularly luminous or radiant features.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Perla can be found in the 16th century, when a Spanish noblewoman named Perla de Toledo was mentioned in historical records. She was known for her philanthropic work and her support of the arts.
In the 17th century, the Italian painter Perla Facheris gained recognition for her portraits and religious paintings. She was one of the few female artists of her time to achieve widespread acclaim.
During the 18th century, Perla Bennavidez was a notable figure in the Mexican War of Independence. She served as a messenger and spy for the revolutionary forces, risking her life to support the cause of Mexican independence.
In the 19th century, Perla Bataille was a French author and activist who fought for women's rights and education. Her writings and speeches were influential in advancing the feminist movement in France.
Another notable figure with the name Perla was the 20th-century American artist Perla Siedle Gibson. Born in 1888, she was known for her vibrant and expressive paintings, many of which depicted scenes from her native New Mexico.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Perla. While it has its roots in Spanish and Latin cultures, the name has been adopted and used in various parts of the world, often as a symbol of beauty, rarity, and preciousness.
People
Perla + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Perla 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
Perla: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Perla?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 19,993 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Perla 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 17,144 US residents.
Is Perla a common name?
We classify Perla as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 20,699 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Perla most popular?
The single biggest year for Perla was 2003, when 1,109 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Perla is about 25 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Perla a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Perla 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.
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.