UK girl's name
Perl
A diminutive form of the Germanic name Pearl, meaning a precious gem.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Perl is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Perl popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5493, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 4 births.
This profile covers 13 England and Wales registrations across 4 recorded years from 2013 to 2020. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 13 living people in the UK are called Perl. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2021 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Perl ranked #5493 for girls in England and Wales in 2020, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 4 girls were registered as Perl.
- • About 13 living people in the UK are estimated to have Perl as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5493
2020
Births in 2020
3
Latest year
Peak year
2017
4 births
Estimated living
13
2026
Meaning
What does Perl mean?
The name Perl is not a traditional given name but rather a modern term derived from the computer programming language of the same name. The language Perl was created by Larry Wall in 1987 and was initially a shortening of the phrase "Practical Extraction and Reporting Language."
Over time, the name Perl stuck, and it became associated with the language itself, which grew in popularity among computer programmers and software developers. While not a traditional given name, some parents have chosen to name their children Perl in recent years, likely inspired by the programming language and its widespread use in the technology industry.
There are no known historical references or ancient texts that mention the name Perl as a given name. It is a relatively modern coinage that emerged in the late 20th century with the advent of computer programming languages.
However, there are a few notable individuals who have been named Perl, although their numbers are likely small due to the unconventional nature of the name. One example is Perl Wolrich, a computer scientist and engineer who worked on developing microprocessor architectures at Intel.
Another individual named Perl is Perl von Gartzau, a German artist and designer known for her experimental fashion designs and installations. Perl von Gartzau was born in 1982 and continues to work in the art and design fields.
In the entertainment industry, there is an actress named Perl Courtney-Marriott, who has appeared in several television shows and films. Her birth year is not widely documented, but she has been active in the industry since the early 2000s.
While not a traditional given name with a long history, the name Perl has gained some traction in recent decades, likely due to the popularity of the programming language and its association with technology and innovation.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Perl over time
The chart below shows babies named Perl registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2013 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Perl, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2020, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Perl by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Perl was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5493 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #5365 | 10 | 3 |
Related
Names similar to Perl
- Poppy 52,802
- Phoebe 47,609
- Paige 24,717
- Penelope 13,109
- Pippa 6,346
- Polly 5,678
- Philippa 4,446
- Penny 4,394
- Paris 4,372
- Piper 3,961
- Pearl 3,516
- Paisley 3,419
FAQ
Perl: questions and answers
How popular is the name Perl in the UK right now?
In 2020, Perl was ranked #5493 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Perl most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 4 babies registered as Perl in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Perl?
A diminutive form of the Germanic name Pearl, meaning a precious gem.
How many people are called Perl in the UK?
A total of 13 babies have been registered as Perl across the 4 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.