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Pearl Family History

Pearl Surname Meaning

English: nickname apparently from Middle English perle perel ‘pearl’ (Old French perle medieval Latin perla perula).

English: possibly a variant of Prill with metathesis of -r-.

Americanized form (translation into English) of Jewish Perel.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Pearl family from?

You can see how Pearl families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Pearl family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Pearl families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 292 Pearl families living in London. This was about 26% of all the recorded Pearl's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Pearl families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Pearl surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Pearl ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Pearl. 14% of Pearl men worked as a General Labourer and 75% of Pearl women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Pearl were Retired and Incapacitated.

View Census Data for Pearl | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1939

  • General Labourer
    14%
  • Farm Labourer
    13%
  • Horseman On Farm
    8%
  • Retired
    7%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    75%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    3%
  • Housewife
    3%
  • Incapacitated
    3%

What Pearl family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 62,000 census records available for the last name Pearl. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Pearl census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Pearl

Passenger Lists

There are 7,000 immigration records available for the last name Pearl. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Pearl immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 9,000 military records available for the last name Pearl. For the veterans among your Pearl ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Pearl military records

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