How Many People Are Named Pernell?
An estimated 2,550 people in the United States have the first name Pernell. It is predominantly male (91.7%). The average bearer is 50 years old, and Pernell peaked in popularity in 1964 with 183 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Pernell as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name Pernell paired with any surname.
Estimated Living Americans
2,550
About 1 in 134,413 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Rare
Predicted Gender
Male
91.7% confidence
Average Age
50
years old
Peak Year
1964
183 births
Total Registered
3,306
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Pernell
Pernell is predominantly male (91.7%), though 275 female births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Pernell as a male name
Ranked #11,893 in 2023
6 male births in 2023
Peak: 1964 (178 births)
Pernell as a female name
Ranked #9,212 in 1972
5 female births in 1972
Peak: 1933 (14 births)
Pernell: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Pernell span from the 1910s to the 2020s, covering 12 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1960s, when 955 babies were registered. Pernell has declined significantly from its peak in the 1960s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Pernell by Decade
How has Pernell tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
Pernell by State
Birth registrations for Pernell span all 21 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Virginia, Louisiana, New York. The lowest are in New Jersey, Missouri, Michigan. On average, about 51 Pernells were registered per state.
Pernell + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Pernell as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Pernell
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
Pernell: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pernell?
We estimate approximately 2,550 people named Pernell are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 134,413 Americans share this first name.
Is Pernell a common name?
Pernell is classified as "Rare" and is more popular than 94.6% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 3,306 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Pernell most popular?
Pernell reached peak popularity in 1964, when 183 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Pernell is approximately 50 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is Pernell a male name?
Pernell is predominantly male. 91.7% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many Pernell Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Pernell Smith, Pernell Johnson, Pernell Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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