UK surname
A surname derived from the French place name Perles, likely referring to someone from that locality.
In the 1881 census there were 17 people recorded with the Perl surname, ranking it #31,170 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 85, ranked #32,637, down from #31,170 in 1881.
The strongest historical links point to Birstall, Earsdon and Portsmouth, Portsea. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include No data.
Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Perl is 131 in 1861. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 400.0%.
1881 census count
17
Ranked #31,170
Modern count
85
2016, ranked #32,637
Peak year
1861
131 bearers
Map years
0
Key insights
Timeline
Back to topThe 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 | 15 | #30,614 |
| 1861 | historical | 131 | #17,052 |
| 1881 | historical | 17 | #31,170 |
| 1891 | historical | 86 | #25,951 |
| 1901 | historical | 40 | #29,678 |
| 1911 | historical | 42 | #28,691 |
| 1997 | modern | 82 | #29,325 |
| 1998 | modern | 92 | #28,680 |
| 1999 | modern | 89 | #29,168 |
| 2000 | modern | 79 | #30,249 |
| 2001 | modern | 80 | #29,945 |
| 2002 | modern | 79 | #30,499 |
| 2003 | modern | 79 | #30,549 |
| 2004 | modern | 76 | #31,125 |
| 2005 | modern | 81 | #30,740 |
| 2006 | modern | 73 | #31,954 |
| 2007 | modern | 72 | #32,397 |
| 2008 | modern | 72 | #32,656 |
| 2009 | modern | 79 | #32,372 |
| 2010 | modern | 83 | #32,396 |
| 2011 | modern | 81 | #32,558 |
| 2012 | modern | 82 | #32,701 |
| 2013 | modern | 92 | #31,909 |
| 2014 | modern | 89 | #32,409 |
| 2015 | modern | 90 | #32,245 |
| 2016 | modern | 85 | #32,637 |
Geography
Back to topHistorical parish links are strongest around Birstall, Earsdon, Portsmouth, Portsea, Torpenhow and London parishes. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.
The modern local-area list points to No data. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.
| Rank | Parish | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Birstall | Yorkshire, West Riding |
| 2 | Earsdon | Northumberland |
| 3 | Portsmouth, Portsea | Hampshire |
| 4 | Torpenhow | Cumberland |
| 5 | London parishes | London 2 |
| Rank | Area | District |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | No data | No data |
Forenames
Back to topThese lists show first names that appear often with the Perl surname in historical and recent records.
Recent female names
Recent male names
Modern profile
Back to topModern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Perl, 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
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Nationally, the Perl surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as No data, within No data. This does not mean every Perl household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.
London neighbourhood type
Supergroup
No data
Group
No data
Within London, Perl is most associated with areas classed as No data, part of No data. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.
Broadband speed
The modern neighbourhood pattern for Perl is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of No data.
Area snapshot
This describes the area pattern most associated with Perl, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.
Origin
Back to topThe surname PERL is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Perle," meaning "pearl," possibly indicating an occupation or association with pearl trading or the production of pearl jewelry.
One of the earliest documented references to the PERL surname can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, Germany, where a certain Hans PERL was mentioned as a resident in the year 1567. Another early record comes from the town of Bamberg, where a family by the name of PERL lived in the late 16th century.
The surname PERL has also been traced to various regions in Austria, particularly in the areas around Vienna and Salzburg. In the 18th century, there were notable PERL families living in these regions, some of whom were involved in the textile trade and others in the wine-making industry.
One of the most prominent individuals bearing the PERL surname was Johann Jakob PERL (1681-1756), a German theologian and philosopher who was born in Nuremberg and later became a professor at the University of Leipzig. His works on ethics and metaphysics were highly regarded during his time.
Another notable PERL was the Austrian composer and conductor Johann Friedrich PERL (1773-1819), who was born in Vienna and is best known for his operas and ballets, which were popular in the early 19th century.
In the realm of literature, one cannot overlook the German writer and poet Fritz PERL (1891-1967), who was born in Breslau (now Wrocław, Poland) and is renowned for his novels and short stories that explored themes of identity and alienation in modern society.
Moving to the 20th century, the name PERL gained further recognition with the American mathematician and computer scientist Gerald PERL (1935-1995), who made significant contributions to the field of artificial intelligence and is credited with developing the programming language known as Perl.
While the surname PERL has its roots in Germany and Austria, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with notable bearers of the name found in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Israel, among others.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
1881 census detail
Back to topThese tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Perl surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.
Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Middlesex leads with 12 Perls recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.24x.
Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Bethnal Green London in Middlesex leads with 5 Perls recorded in 1881 and an index of 69.44x.
| Place | Total | Index |
|---|---|---|
| Bethnal Green London | 5 | 69.44x |
| Hackney London | 4 | 43.06x |
| Norwich St Martin At Oak | 3 | 2000.00x |
| St Botolph Aldgate | 3 | 1304.35x |
| Cardiff St Mary | 1 | 62.89x |
| Sheffield | 1 | 19.12x |
These are the female first names most often recorded with the Perl surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
These are the male first names most often recorded with the Perl surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.
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 Perl households.
| Occupation | Count |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Maker | 2 |
| Boatswain | 1 |
| Cook | 1 |
| Dealer In Tobacconists Fancy Goods | 1 |
| Domestic Servant | 1 |
| General Labourer | 1 |
| Master Cabinet Maker Employing Six Men 4 Boys | 1 |
| Receiving Parish Relief | 1 |
| Scholar | 1 |
| Silk Spinner | 1 |
| Visiting Tutor | 1 |
FAQ
In 1881, 17 people were recorded with the Perl surname. That placed it at #31,170 in the surname rankings for that year.
The latest modern count shown here is 85 in 2016. That gives Perl a modern rank of #32,637.
A surname derived from the French place name Perles, likely referring to someone from that locality.
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.