Pearl

Meaning: Its source is an English expression meaning "The gem."

Languages: This girl's name is used in Dutch and English.

Nicknames: Pearlie and Pearly

Alternative Spellings: Pearle

Variant Forms: Pearlene, Pearline, Pearlita, Perla and Perline

Non-English Forms: Perle

Popularity: The name Pearl ranked 224th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

This name is highly rated in the 1990 U.S. Census popularity survey of all ages, but after 1960 does not appear in the state data listing the most popular baby names.

Narrative: The English name Margaret is derived from margaron, the Greek equivalent of this word.

Leadership

Pearl P. Oldfield (born 1876, died 1962)
American politician.
- Representative, D-Arkansas, 1929-31 (see list of Women in the House of Representatives)

Miscellaneous

Pearl Bailey Bellson
- 1988 recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom (see list of Presidential Medal of Freedom Winners)
Pearl S. Buck (born 1892, died 1973)
American novelist.
- Member of National Women''s Hall of Fame (see list of National Women's Hall of Fame Members)
Pearl Hall
- 1971 Pillsbury Bake-Off winner (see list of Pillsbury Bake-off Winners)

Stage and Screen

Pearl Bailey (born 1918, died 1990)
American singer and actress.
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording (see list of Recording Personalites with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)
Pearl
Fictional character.
- From ''''Fish Police'''' (see list of Cartoon characters)
Pearl
Fictional character.
- Portrayed by Maureen Stapleton (see list of Characters in the film Interiors)
Pearl White
- Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Picture (see list of Movie Personalities with Stars in the Hollywood Walk of Fame)

The Literary World

Pearl S. Buck (born 1892, died 1973)
American novelist.
- 1938 Nobel Prize winner for Literature (see list of Winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature)
- 1932 Pulitzer Prize winner for Fiction, for The Good Earth (see list of Winners of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)