Show ContentsPerl History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The distinguished and ancient German surname Perl is derived from "perle," meaning "pearl." The progenitor of the name was most likely someone who worked with pearls.

Early Origins of the Perl family

The surname Perl was first found in Bohemia, where the ancestral home of the Perl family is thought to be located. The young Perl family played an important role during these early formative years, contributing greatly to the development of medieval Bohemian society.

Early History of the Perl family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Perl research. Another 126 words (9 lines of text) covering the years 1386, 1406, 1751, 1773, 1798, 1839, 1866, 1877 and 1932 are included under the topic Early Perl History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Perl Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Perl, Perle, Perlmeister, Perlman, Perlmann, Perler, Perel, Perlmutter, Mutterperl, Perlmuter and many more.

Early Notables of the Perl family

During this early period, notable bearers of the name Perl included

  • Plazidus Perl (1751-1798), a prominent German scientist and professor
  • Joseph Perl (1773-1839), the famous Jewish author of "Megale Tmirin

Perl Ranking

In the United States, the name Perl is the 17,198th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Perl migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Perl Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Frederick Perl, who landed in Allegany (Allegheny) County, Pennsylvania in 1864 2

Contemporary Notables of the name Perl (post 1700) +

  • Nicholas Perl (1942-1987), American founder and owner of Yazoo Records and Blue Goose Records
  • William Perl, born William Mutterperl, American physicist and Soviet spy
  • Arnold Perl (1914-1971), American playwright and theater producer
  • Martin Lewis Perl (b. 1927), American physicist, co-winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1995
  • Hille Perl (b. 1965), German virtuoso performer of the viola da gamba and lirone
  • Alfredo Perl (b. 1965), Chilean-born, German classical pianist and conductor, current conductor of the Detmold Chamber Orchestra
  • Laura Perl (1905-1993), German-born psychologist born in Pforzheim
  • Reto Perl (b. 1923), Swiss national team ice hockey player
  • Joseph Perl (1773-1839), Ashkenazi Jewish educator and writer
  • Curdin Perl (b. 1984), Swiss cross country skier


The Perl Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Omnes vires pro patria
Motto Translation: All my strength for my country


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


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