People with the surname Pearl are 74.8 percent White, 5.7 percent Hispanic origin, 14.3 percent Black, 3.0 percent Asian or Pacific Islander, 1.6 percent Two or More Races, and 0.6 percent American Indian or Alaska Native. These values should only be regarded as a rough approximation. They are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 Ethnic Diversity Survey. Pearl is used as a given name among other cultures too. It is popular in Japan where it is used as a feminine given name. There are also characters named after the pearl in Japanese mythology. In Europe, the name Pearl is used as a first name by people of German and English ancestry. It is derived from the name Birgitt which is associated with the German religion. The earliest record of the name that we can find dates back to 835 AD when a woman named Bertha was married. She was the daughter of a Viking chieftain who had traveled across Europe bringing peace between their nations. In America, the name Pearl is commonly used as a female given name. It was originally used as a nickname for someone who was pretty or graceful. This is probably why many people think the name means "beautiful". But this isn't true anymore since Pearl as a given name was adopted by sailors to call their ships. Before that time, ship names were usually taken from locations or people.