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Pearlie
How to Pronounce Pearlie
Pronounced PUR-lee /ˈpɜːrli/Medium
Meaning: Pearlie is an affectionate -ie form of Pearl, the gem name from the Latin perla. Pearl and its pet forms were mostly given to girls, but in the American South Pearlie was also entered for boys around the turn of the twentieth century, part of a regional habit of soft -ie names for either sex.Low
Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Pearlie is a diminutive of Pearl, from the Latin perla, the gem. Chiefly a girls' name, it was also recorded for boys in the American South around the turn of the twentieth century, when tender -ie names crossed freely between the sexes there.
For boys it was never common, a couple dozen a year at most around the nineteen-teens, and it faded by mid-century. A boy given it then would be a great-grandfather now, and it reads as an old regional name rather than a current choice.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Pearlie mean?
It's a pet form of Pearl, the gem name from the Latin perla.
How do you pronounce Pearlie?
It's said PUR-lee /ˈpɜːrli/, two syllables, stress on the first.
Is Pearlie a boy or girl name?
Pearlie is used here as a boy's name, though it was more often a girl's name.
Is Pearlie a popular name?
No, for boys it was always rare, an old Southern name seen only slightly in the early twentieth century.