2000
#4,409
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,435
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.76
Rare Last name
Pearl
A surname derived from the precious gemstone, likely referring to a trader or collector of pearls.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,282 Americans carry the last name Pearl. That puts it at #4,750 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,385 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pearl surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Pearl with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.3K
1 in 41,385
Census rank
#4,750
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,222 bearers of the surname Pearl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4750th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pearl, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pearl
The surname PEARL is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "perle," which itself comes from the Latin word "pirula," meaning a small spherical object. The name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who had a particular fondness for or association with pearls.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname date back to the late 12th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. It is believed that the name may have initially referred to individuals involved in the pearl trade or those who worked as pearl merchants or jewelers.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are no direct references to the surname PEARL, as it had not yet emerged as a hereditary surname at that time. However, there are mentions of individuals with occupational names related to pearls, such as "Margerie le Perlere" (Margery the Pearl Worker) from Norfolk in 1273.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname PEARL is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1230, which mention a "William Perle." Another early record is from the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, which lists a "Robert Perle."
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname PEARL. One example is Sir Henry Pearl (1604-1680), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1665. Another is Cynthia Pearl Maus (1898-1983), an American actress and songwriter known for her roles in silent films during the 1920s.
Other individuals with the surname PEARL include:
1. Thomas Pearl (1608-1666), an English Puritan clergyman and author.
2. John Pearl (1837-1914), a British politician and member of Parliament for Woodstock.
3. Raymond Pearl (1879-1940), an American biologist and statistician known for his work on population growth and longevity.
4. James Pearl (1918-2007), an American jazz drummer and session musician.
5. Mary Pearl (1768-1825), an English writer and author of children's literature.
While the surname PEARL is not among the most common English surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and reflects the cultural significance of pearls in various contexts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pearl
Among Census respondents with the surname Pearl, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Pearl bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Pearl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.9% · 5,841
- Black or African American9.1% · 659
- Two or more races4.4% · 317
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 291
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 86
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pearl
Pearl appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#4,687
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,570
+135 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 2.57
Rank movement Down 278 places
2020
#4,750
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,222
-348 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 2.42
Rank movement Down 63 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,409 | 7,435 | 2.76 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,687 | 7,570 | 2.57 | +135 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 278 places |
| 2020 | #4,750 | 7,222 | 2.42 | -348 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 63 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Pearl surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,687 | #4,750 | -1.3% |
| Count | 7,570 | 7,222 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.57 | 2.42 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pearl bearers went from 7,570 to 7,222 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 63 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,687 to #4,750.
FAQ
Pearl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pearl?
Name Census estimates that about 8,282 living Americans carry the surname Pearl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,385 residents.
How common is Pearl?
Pearl ranks #4,750 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,222 people with the surname Pearl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,282), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Pearl.
Has Pearl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pearl went from 7,570 recorded bearers to 7,222. That is a decrease of 348 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,687 to #4,750.
What does the Census say about the background of Pearl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pearl, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.1%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Pearl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.9% (5,841 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pearl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.9%), Black (9.1%), Two or More Races (4.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Pearl (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Pearl mean?
A surname derived from the precious gemstone, likely referring to a trader or collector of pearls. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Pearl (2.42 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Pearl?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.