Question: where did the band name pearl jam come from

title: Pearl Jam
text: Released on August 27 , 1991 , Ten ( named after Mookie Blaylock 's jersey number ) contained eleven tracks dealing with dark subjects like depression , suicide , loneliness , and murder . Ten 's musical style , influenced by classic rock , combined an `` expansive harmonic vocabulary '' with an anthemic sound . The album was slow to sell , but by the second half of 1992 it became a breakthrough success , being certified gold and reaching number two on the Billboard charts . Ten produced the hit singles `` Alive '' , `` Even Flow '' , and `` Jeremy '' . Originally interpreted as an anthem by many , Vedder later revealed that `` Alive '' tells the semi-autobiographical tale of a son discovering that his father is actually his stepfather , while his mother 's grief turns her to sexually embrace her son , who strongly resembles the biological father . The song `` Jeremy '' and its accompanying video were inspired by a true story in which a high school student shot himself in front of his classmates . Ten stayed on the Billboard charts for nearly five years , and has gone on to become one of the highest - selling rock records ever , going 13x platinum .