Names That Mean Pearl

Perlie, along with Pearlie and Purlie, was one of the 21 names identified by Lisa D. Cook and colleagues in their landmark study on distinctively Black names from history.

A beautiful and little-known Arabic member of the super-stylish Lu- group of names, with a lovely natural meanings.

Old-fashioned enough to the American ear that literally no baby girls received the name in the US in the most recent year counted. Though might Pessa provide a more unique spin on Tessa? It certainly has a lovely meaning, one shared with Margaret.

Margalo could make an intriguing spin on Margaret, with Margo as a nickname. The name appears in E. B. White's Stuart Little — as a bird. Margalo Gilmore (born Margaret) was a well-known British-born Broadway actress.

Leimomi was a common girl name in Hawaii a century ago, so according to the 100-Year Rule, it is due to be refreshed and revived. And what great timing, with the current popularity of the similar name Leilani.

A cutesy Hawaiian name with a pretty meaning.

A common name in many cultures, sometimes spelled Margarethe.

We don't recommend using a baby name in which "meth" is the first syllable. Try the original form, Meta, instead.

Welsh form of Margaret, borne by Mererid Hopwood, the first female poet to win the chair at the National Eisteddfod.

The lovely Portuguese word for "pearl" (Pérola) was seldom used as a first name even in Brazil and Portugal until it was the name of a character on a popular telenovela "Joia Rara." It is also the name of a town in the south of Brazil, near the Paraguayan border.

The Danish and Norwegian form of the classic Margaret and the name of the reigning Queen of Denmark, who has been on the throne since 1972.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Purlie was a distinctively Black name used primarily among baby boys. Purlie, along with alternate spellings Pearlie and Perlie, is virtually unheard of today.

Popular Margaret variant in Nordic countries, often spelled Margrét.

A lovely variation of classic Margaret, worn by two Olympic medal winners — Marharyta Makhneva and Marharyta Dorozhon.

This obscure Margaret variation was a popular name in medieval Scotland and could make a truly distinctive, feminine choice today.

So many short forms of Margaret, from Peggy all the way through Maggie and Megan, are outdated now that Mago has value simply by being undiscovered. But still, not very appealing.

Pronounced just like Maggie, this In all its forms, one of the most classic Scottish name for girls is rarely heard outside its native land.

Peg is a nostalgic turn-of-the-last-century nickname, sociable but slight. Like near-identical twin Peggy, Peg is in mothballs.

This rare literary name appears in Gottfried Keller's 1855 novel Der grüne Heinrich (Green Henry). Fiesty and beautiful Meretlein lived in the woods and was constantly causing trouble. Ultimately, she died an early death.