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Pearl Family History

Pearl Name 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: Pear, Perl, Earl, Spear, Neal, Fear, Deal, Mears, Pere, Leal

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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 1911 there were 109 Pearl families living in Ontario. This was about 45% of all the recorded Pearl's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Pearl families in 1911.
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.

What did your Pearl ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Stenographer were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Pearl. 36% of Pearl men worked as a Farmer and 34% of Pearl women worked as a Stenographer. Some less common occupations for Americans named Pearl were Labourer and Servant. .

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 1921

  • Farmer
    36%
  • Clerk
    10%
  • Fisherman
    8%
  • Labourer
    8%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Stenographer
    34%
  • Housekeeper
    34%
  • Servant
    34%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

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 Canadian 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 Canada, 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.

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You've only scratched the surface of Pearl family history

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What is the average Pearl lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Pearl life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1961, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Pearl in 1944 was 48, and 76 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Pearl

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