NameCensus.

UK surname

Pearlman

A Jewish occupational surname referring to a dealer or cutter of pearls, or a jeweler.

In the 1881 census there were 21 people recorded with the Pearlman surname, ranking it #30,609 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 224, ranked #18,164, up from #30,609 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Gateshead, Manchester and Glasgow. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Barnet, Harrow and Salford.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Pearlman is 238 in 1911. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 966.7%.

1881 census count

21

Ranked #30,609

Modern count

224

2016, ranked #18,164

Peak year

1911

238 bearers

Map years

5

1901 to 2016

Key insights

  • Pearlman had 21 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #30,609 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 224 in 2016, ranked #18,164.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 238 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Outer Suburbs.

Pearlman surname distribution map

The map shows where the Pearlman surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Pearlman surname density by area, 2016 modern.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Pearlman over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 1 #33,412
1861 historical 5 #33,418
1881 historical 21 #30,609
1891 historical 79 #26,897
1901 historical 176 #16,401
1911 historical 238 #13,356
1997 modern 199 #17,668
1998 modern 207 #17,749
1999 modern 205 #17,960
2000 modern 199 #18,278
2001 modern 191 #18,453
2002 modern 189 #18,950
2003 modern 190 #18,683
2004 modern 199 #18,260
2005 modern 194 #18,512
2006 modern 204 #18,051
2007 modern 198 #18,600
2008 modern 204 #18,403
2009 modern 214 #18,220
2010 modern 220 #18,265
2011 modern 223 #17,940
2012 modern 211 #18,539
2013 modern 225 #18,027
2014 modern 227 #18,029
2015 modern 222 #18,225
2016 modern 224 #18,164

Geography

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Where Pearlmans are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Gateshead, Manchester, Glasgow, West Derby and Bishop Wearmouth. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Barnet, Harrow and Salford. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 Gateshead Durham
2 Manchester Lancashire
3 Glasgow Lanark
4 West Derby Lancashire
5 Bishop Wearmouth Durham

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Barnet 037 Barnet
2 Barnet 033 Barnet
3 Barnet 034 Barnet
4 Harrow 002 Harrow
5 Salford 011 Salford

Forenames

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First names often paired with Pearlman

These lists show first names that appear often with the Pearlman surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Pearlman

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Pearlman, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals

Group

Outer Suburbs

Nationally, the Pearlman surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Outer Suburbs, within Ethnically Diverse Suburban Professionals. This does not mean every Pearlman household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods are found on the outer edges of many towns and cities. Many residents were born outside the UK. Indian ethnic group representation is high. There are high numbers of families with dependent children aged 5 to 14. Incidences of disability and of provision of unpaid care are low. Neighbourhoods provide a mix of detached housing and flats, and terraced housing is not uncommon. Levels of overcrowding are low and homeownership rates are high. Professional and managerial occupations are prevalent: unemployment is low and education to degree level is the norm.

Wider pattern

Those working within the managerial, professional and administrative occupations typically reflect a wide range of ethnic groups, and reside in detached or semi-detached housing. Their residential locations at the edges of cities and conurbations and car-based lifestyles are more characteristic of Supergroup membership than birthplace or participation in child-rearing. Houses are typically owner-occupied and marriage rates are lower than the national average. This Supergroup is found throughout suburban UK.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs

Group

Professional Periphery

Within London, Pearlman is most associated with areas classed as Professional Periphery, part of Older Residents in Owner-Occupied Suburbs. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These neighbourhoods predominantly house residents aged 45+, with many aged 85+. Most employed residents work in senior roles, and relatively few work in unskilled jobs. Terraced housing is comparatively rare, but communal living is more common. More residents identify as of Indian ethnicity and more affiliate with non-Christian religions. Disability levels are below the Supergroup average.

Wider London pattern

The age distribution of these neighbourhoods is skewed towards the middle-aged and old, although few residents live alone or in communal establishments and numbers of dependent children are around average. Owner occupation is the norm, as is residence in detached or semi-detached houses. Residential densities are low and many households have spare rooms. Most residents were born in the UK and, aside from some identifying as members of Chinese or Indian ethnicities, identify as White. Mixed ethnicity households are rare. Incidence of married couples is higher than average and few individuals have never been married. A large proportion of individuals still in employment work in administrative and secretarial occupations, or in the construction industry. Few residents are students, and many households own more than one car.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Pearlman is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Pearlman falls in decile 9 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the less deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

9
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Pearlman is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Other

This describes the area pattern most associated with Pearlman, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Pearlman

The surname Pearlman is a relatively modern surname that emerged in Western and Central Europe during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is an Anglicized variant of the German surname "Perlmann," which is derived from the German words "Perle" meaning "pearl" and "Mann" meaning "man." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked with or traded in pearls.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pearlman can be found in the records of the Jewish community in Frankfurt, Germany, where a merchant named Isaac Perlmann was documented in the late 1700s. As Jewish families began migrating from Germany to other parts of Europe and eventually to the United States, the surname likely underwent various spelling changes, leading to the emergence of the Anglicized form "Pearlman."

In the United States, one of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Pearlman was Joseph Pearlman, who was born in Poland in 1842 and immigrated to the United States in the mid-19th century, settling in New York City. Another notable early bearer of the name was Samuel Pearlman, a merchant born in Russia in 1856, who became a successful businessman in Chicago in the late 19th century.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the Pearlman surname gained prominence in various fields. One notable individual was Walter Pearlman (1892-1972), an American lawyer and civil rights activist who played a significant role in the desegregation of public schools in the United States. Another well-known bearer of the name was Martin Pearlman (1898-1975), a American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Pearlman Foundation, which supported various charitable organizations.

In the realm of arts and entertainment, several individuals with the surname Pearlman have achieved recognition. These include Marty Pearlman (1927-2022), an American jazz guitarist and composer, and Louis Pearlman (1954-2016), a controversial American businessman and record producer who was instrumental in the formation of popular music groups such as Backstreet Boys and NSYNC.

While the surname Pearlman is not among the most common surnames globally, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, contributing to the cultural tapestry of various societies.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Pearlman families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Pearlman surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Durham leads with 6 Pearlmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 9.85x.

County Total Index
Durham 6 9.85x
Lancashire 6 2.47x
Middlesex 5 2.44x
Yorkshire 4 1.97x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bishopwearmouth in Durham leads with 6 Pearlmans recorded in 1881 and an index of 114.72x.

Place Total Index
Bishopwearmouth 6 114.72x
Liverpool 6 40.65x
Mile End New Town 5 1785.71x
Holy Trinity 4 81.97x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Pearlman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Amelia 1
Betsy 1
Dora 1
Emma 1
Flora 1
Mary 1
Rose 1
Sarah 1
Sharah 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Pearlman surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Abraham 1
Benn 1
Harris 1
Hyman 1
Jacob 1
Joseph 1
Moses 1
Nathan 1
Rachel 1
Sampson 1
Simeon 1
Wolf 1

Top occupations

Occupational titles are kept as recorded and later transcribed, so related jobs, spelling variants and mistakes stay separate. Scholar was the census term for a child in education. That means the other rows often tell you more about adult work in Pearlman households.

FAQ

Pearlman surname: questions and answers

How common was the Pearlman surname in 1881?

In 1881, 21 people were recorded with the Pearlman surname. That placed it at #30,609 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Pearlman surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 224 in 2016. That gives Pearlman a modern rank of #18,164.

What does the Pearlman surname mean?

A Jewish occupational surname referring to a dealer or cutter of pearls, or a jeweler.

What does the Pearlman map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Pearlman bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.