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Home › Baby Names Directory › Perley

Perley

♂ Boy

Pronounced PUR-lee /ˈpɜrli/Medium

Meaning: Perley is an English surname and place name, most often explained as 'pear wood' or 'pear meadow', from Old English 'peru', pear, and 'leah', a clearing or meadow. Used as a given name in nineteenth-century New England, it also echoes the word 'pearl'.Low

In 30 seconds: Perley is an English surname meaning 'pear meadow', used as a boys' name in old New England. It was quietly common around the nineteen-teens, given to a few dozen boys a year (said 'PUR-lee').
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Origin LowEnglish
MeaningPerley is an English surname and place name, most often explained as 'pear wood' or 'pear meadow', from Old English 'peru', pear, and 'leah', a clearing or meadow. Used as a given name in nineteenth-century New England, it also echoes the word 'pearl'.
U.S. rank (1964)#3002 ↗ Rising
1964 U.S. births9 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1915
Total births (all-time)≈ 1,020

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 193118801964

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

Perley began as an English place-name surname, 'pear meadow', from Old English 'peru' and 'leah'. It took hold as a first name in nineteenth-century New England, where surname-names ran in families, and it also carries a faint echo of 'pearl'.

It saw its quiet peak in the early twentieth century, given to only a few dozen boys a year, and faded by mid-century. It reads today as a distinctly old-fashioned New England name.

Did you know? The name paints a small landscape: from Old English 'peru' and 'leah', it means a pear wood or pear meadow, a clearing where pear trees grew.
Overall data confidence 50%
References - Perley — English surname/place name 'pear meadow'; Old English 'peru' + 'leah'; New England given name

Variations

PerlyPurleyPearleyPerlieParley

Nicknames

PerlLee

Famous Bearers

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If you like Perley…

Parley— a similar surname-style vintage boys' name
Presley— a related -ley ending surname name
Wesley— a classic -ley boys' name from the same pattern
Sidney— shares Perley's English roots
Pacey— shares Perley's English roots

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Perley mean?

Perley is an English surname and place name meaning 'pear wood' or 'pear meadow'.

How do you pronounce Perley?

It's said PUR-lee /ˈpɜrli/ - two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Perley a boy or girl name?

Perley is used as a boy's name.

How popular is Perley?

Perley was quietly popular in early-twentieth-century New England and is very rare today.

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