Perlita
A feminine diminutive of Spanish origin meaning "little pearl".
Name Census estimates that about 294 living Americans carry the first name Perlita. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Perlita today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Perlita births was 1983 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Perlita. 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
294
~ 1 in 1,165,831 Americans
Peak year
1983
20 babies that year
Average age
37
years old
2021 SSA rank
#17,074
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Perlita: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Perlita from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 124 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Perlita 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 Perlita during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Perlitas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Perlita
The name Perlita is of Spanish origin, derived from the word "perla," which means "pearl" in Spanish. It is a diminutive form of the name, often used as a term of endearment or a nickname.
Perlita can be traced back to the medieval period in Spain, where pearls were highly valued and associated with wealth, beauty, and purity. The name likely emerged as a way to bestow these desirable qualities upon a child.
In ancient Greek mythology, pearls were associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. This connection may have influenced the popularity of the name Perlita in Spanish-speaking regions, as it evoked notions of femininity and grace.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Perlita can be found in the 16th century Spanish novel "La Celestina" by Fernando de Rojas, where a character bears this name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the name Perlita:
1. Perlita Greco (1899-1997), a Cuban singer and actress known for her performances in the early 20th century.
2. Perlita Gilmore (1908-1992), an American singer and actress who appeared in Hollywood films during the 1930s and 1940s.
3. Perlita Nati (1924-2019), a Mexican actress and dancer who graced the stage and silver screen in Mexico during the mid-20th century.
4. Perlita Candid (born 1942), a renowned Spanish flamenco dancer and choreographer who has performed worldwide and received numerous accolades for her contributions to the art form.
5. Perlita Villaruel (born 1954), a Filipino actress and singer who has appeared in numerous television shows and films in the Philippines since the 1970s.
The name Perlita has maintained a presence in Spanish-speaking cultures, particularly in Latin America, where it continues to be used as a beautiful and meaningful name for baby girls.
People
Perlita + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Perlita 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
Perlita: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Perlita?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 294 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Perlita 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 1,165,831 US residents.
Is Perlita a common name?
We classify Perlita as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 310 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Perlita most popular?
The single biggest year for Perlita was 1983, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Perlita is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Perlita a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Perlita 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.