Pearl
A surname that usually began as a nickname or given-name reference, likening someone to a pearl, the precious gem.
The #4,687 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 40,785 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname most likely comes from Middle English *perle*, from Old French *perle*, ultimately from Latin *perla* or related forms meaning a pearl. In surname use, it was probably either a nickname for someone thought of as precious or beautiful, or a family name formed from the baptismal name Margaret, which also means “pearl.” The sources also suggest the name was sometimes treated simply as a personal-name-derived surname rather than a trade name.
History
The surname is documented in medieval England, with forms such as Thomas Perle appearing in 14th-century records. Later surname dictionaries note that it could overlap with Margaret-based naming, since Margaret was a common feminine name meaning “pearl.” The name remains uncommon but steady in modern English-speaking populations.
Origin
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Fun fact
Pearl is one of several surnames that began as a compliment-like nickname based on a jewel or precious object.
From the historical record
“with Peart, Pert, q.v. PEARL (A.-Fr.-Lat.) a name from the Jewel [M.E. perle, Fr. perk"] . Thomas Perle.— C/o5« Rolls, A.D. 1343. PEARMAN "1 (Eng.) Dweller by a Pear- PEARMAIN ; Tree [O.E. pere (La.t.pir-us) + mann\ Cp. Oakman, Ashman, etc. > (A.-Fr.-Lat.) for Pearmont, q.v.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)