Paul

Last seen for girls in 2006 at #15,152 · #262 for boys in 2025, 1,316 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
#12
1930 · 12,955 births
Debut · boys
1880
301 births
In top 100 · boys
121 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
1,398,293
since 1880

Paul over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201975peak #12, 1930boys
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025—#2621,316
2024—#2621,330
2023—#2561,359
2022—#2621,334
2021—#2571,385
2020—#2521,401
2019—#2451,513
2018—#2341,635
2017—#2251,699
2016—#2061,941
2015—#1992,032
2014—#2012,007
2013—#1982,038
2012—#1901,958
2011—#1862,078
2010—#1772,129
2009—#1602,428
2008—#1542,555
2007—#1472,771
2006#15,1526#1323,037
2005#16,4625#1303,145
2004#10,6909#1273,191
2003#12,4087#1233,256
2002—#1183,263
2001#12,0567#1093,523
2000#9,8749#1003,795
1999#12,6886#944,020
1998#8,01611#894,321
1997#6,48314#794,752
1996#6,72313#784,883
1995#7,04112#715,414
1994#8,12210#645,798
1993#8,7199#566,481
1992#6,00815#557,003
1991#4,05925#537,680
1990#3,43631#498,579
1989#2,61843#499,029
1988#1,67177#469,438
1987#1,81264#469,707
1986#1,71768#459,715
1985#1,60474#4210,315
1984#1,43281#4010,460
1983#1,40084#3910,828
1982#1,62171#3511,310
1981#1,56875#3511,776
1980#1,62471#3511,819
1979#1,55574#3411,630
1978#1,47377#3311,733
1977#1,45176#3111,798
1976#1,38477#2811,781
1975#1,36578#2912,017
1974#1,16198#2712,310
1973#1,31277#2412,901
1972#1,39471#2414,555
1971#1,19495#2417,469
1970#1,21292#2320,196
1969#975121#2220,690
1968#958116#1921,865
1967#1,13387#1822,821
1966#1,06397#1823,578
1965#1,09791#1624,919
1964#1,11996#1626,874
1963#1,23379#1726,672
1962#1,27875#1923,802
1961#1,29773#1825,640
1960#1,21281#1825,642
1959#1,23075#1725,712
1958#1,20378#1526,264
1957#1,32264#1827,012
1956#1,24969#1726,897
1955#1,26164#1626,701
1954#1,42250#1626,220
1953#1,37350#1625,509
1952#1,22560#1924,292
1951#1,31450#1822,853
1950#1,24155#1821,742
1949#1,20157#1721,589
1948#1,15760#1821,252
1947#1,12763#1822,796
1946#1,04266#1821,063
1945#1,31237#1716,995
1944#1,17545#1716,661
1943#1,18147#1917,253
1942#1,15347#1916,492
1941#92463#1815,166
1940#97953#1714,097
1939#1,03947#1713,337
1938#1,23135#1513,360
1937#1,07044#1512,881
1936#94153#1512,307
1935#89659#1412,563
1934#89458#1412,196
1933#95751#1411,854
1932#75879#1312,066
1931#70291#1212,255
1930#646114#1212,955
1929#73191#1312,431
1928#634123#1313,160
1927#715102#1313,604
1926#77786#1313,653
1925#82881#1314,175
1924#84978#1413,338
1923#83876#1413,362
1922#80881#1412,922
1921#95560#1413,169
1920#83675#1412,570
1919#91759#1511,305
1918#85970#1411,755
1917#87962#1311,156
1916#96450#1210,790
1915#1,00044#1310,328
1914#88843#137,733
1913#96131#145,966
1912#97827#144,785
1911#1,17115#172,393
1910#1,6349#152,005
1909#1,15213#171,676
1908#1,4399#181,478
1907#1,09213#201,358
1906#1,4168#191,308
1905#1,6966#191,262
1904#1,3648#191,194
1903#1,3188#191,081
1902#97213#201,067
1901#1,4666#19924
1900#1,3199#191,288
1899#1,3946#21885
1898#1,1719#21991
1897#1,5555#20923
1896#1,4166#20964
1895#1,2028#20933
1894#1,4855#23824
1893#1,0918#25743
1892#1,4505#29747
1891—#31564
1890#1,3385#31607
1889—#35555
1888—#38529
1887—#40449
1886#9936#38466
1885#9216#43428
1884#1,0245#45422
1883—#48358
1882—#44397
1881—#55291
1880—#60301
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Paul was already there! It came in at #60, and was given to 301 baby boys.

Quietest stretch: 1880–1885, when fewer than 430 boys a year got the name.

Where Paul is popular in 1975

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: #39 for boys · 23 births · 1 in 122 boysAKMaine: #31 for boys · 70 births · 1 in 94 boysMEVermont: #37 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 104 boysVTNew Hampshire: #37 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 126 boysNHWashington: #31 for boys · 204 births · 1 in 114 boysWAIdaho: #38 for boys · 48 births · 1 in 141 boysIDMontana: #34 for boys · 44 births · 1 in 113 boysMTNorth Dakota: #32 for boys · 46 births · 1 in 103 boysNDMinnesota: #29 for boys · 281 births · 1 in 96 boysMNIllinois: #29 for boys · 630 births · 1 in 124 boysILWisconsin: #26 for boys · 371 births · 1 in 83 boysWIMichigan: #29 for boys · 570 births · 1 in 109 boysMINew York: #21 for boys · 1,167 births · 1 in 96 boysNYMassachusetts: #20 for boys · 477 births · 1 in 69 boysMARhode Island: #23 for boys · 68 births · 1 in 72 boysRIOregon: #40 for boys · 96 births · 1 in 164 boysORNevada: #26 for boys · 37 births · 1 in 91 boysNVWyoming: #30 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 95 boysWYSouth Dakota: #34 for boys · 39 births · 1 in 121 boysSDIowa: #35 for boys · 169 births · 1 in 116 boysIAIndiana: #35 for boys · 277 births · 1 in 141 boysINOhio: #32 for boys · 640 births · 1 in 120 boysOHPennsylvania: #29 for boys · 633 births · 1 in 113 boysPANew Jersey: #24 for boys · 383 births · 1 in 108 boysNJConnecticut: #23 for boys · 174 births · 1 in 94 boysCTCalifornia: #25 for boys · 1,275 births · 1 in 119 boysCAUtah: #38 for boys · 106 births · 1 in 136 boysUTColorado: #32 for boys · 166 births · 1 in 112 boysCONebraska: #37 for boys · 81 births · 1 in 133 boysNEMissouri: #31 for boys · 258 births · 1 in 127 boysMOKentucky: #34 for boys · 187 births · 1 in 139 boysKYWest Virginia: #28 for boys · 120 births · 1 in 109 boysWVVirginia: #30 for boys · 223 births · 1 in 138 boysVAMaryland: #26 for boys · 205 births · 1 in 101 boysMDDelaware: #34 for boys · 30 births · 1 in 110 boysDEArizona: #27 for boys · 156 births · 1 in 112 boysAZNew Mexico: #18 for boys · 91 births · 1 in 97 boysNMKansas: #35 for boys · 106 births · 1 in 139 boysKSArkansas: #44 for boys · 86 births · 1 in 173 boysARTennessee: #38 for boys · 171 births · 1 in 176 boysTNNorth Carolina: #42 for boys · 194 births · 1 in 188 boysNCSouth Carolina: #37 for boys · 109 births · 1 in 182 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #25 for boys · 68 births · 1 in 113 boysDCOklahoma: #39 for boys · 121 births · 1 in 154 boysOKLouisiana: #40 for boys · 177 births · 1 in 170 boysLAMississippi: #39 for boys · 101 births · 1 in 181 boysMSAlabama: #44 for boys · 132 births · 1 in 193 boysALGeorgia: #41 for boys · 194 births · 1 in 188 boysGAHawaii: #32 for boys · 51 births · 1 in 118 boysHITexas: #25 for boys · 692 births · 1 in 155 boysTXFlorida: #26 for boys · 379 births · 1 in 127 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. New Mexico#18 · 1 in 97
  2. Massachusetts#20 · 1 in 69
  3. New York#21 · 1 in 96
  4. Rhode Island#23 · 1 in 72
  5. Connecticut#23 · 1 in 94

Best ever in a state: #2 in Vermont, 1910.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
New Mexico#18911 in 97
Massachusetts#204771 in 69
New York#211,1671 in 96
Connecticut#231741 in 94
Rhode Island#23681 in 72
New Jersey#243831 in 108
California#251,2751 in 119
District of Columbia#25681 in 113
Texas#256921 in 155
Florida#263791 in 127
Maryland#262051 in 101
Nevada#26371 in 91
Wisconsin#263711 in 83
Arizona#271561 in 112
West Virginia#281201 in 109
Illinois#296301 in 124
Michigan#295701 in 109
Minnesota#292811 in 96
Pennsylvania#296331 in 113
Virginia#302231 in 138
Wyoming#30261 in 95
Maine#31701 in 94
Missouri#312581 in 127
Washington#312041 in 114
Colorado#321661 in 112
Hawaii#32511 in 118
North Dakota#32461 in 103
Ohio#326401 in 120
Delaware#34301 in 110
Kentucky#341871 in 139
Montana#34441 in 113
South Dakota#34391 in 121
Indiana#352771 in 141
Iowa#351691 in 116
Kansas#351061 in 139
Nebraska#37811 in 133
New Hampshire#37391 in 126
South Carolina#371091 in 182
Vermont#37261 in 104
Idaho#38481 in 141
Tennessee#381711 in 176
Utah#381061 in 136
Alaska#39231 in 122
Mississippi#391011 in 181
Oklahoma#391211 in 154
Louisiana#401771 in 170
Oregon#40961 in 164
Georgia#411941 in 188
North Carolina#421941 in 188
Alabama#441321 in 193
Arkansas#44861 in 173

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Paul
Momentum · boys
Holding steady
  • Held #262 since 2024
  • 10 spots since 2020 (#252 → #262)
  • 63 spots since 2015 (#199 → #262)
  • Biggest jump: 11 spots in 1882 (#55 → #44)
  • Biggest drop: 19 spots in 2017 (#206 → #225)
Rise & fade · boys
50 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1930 at #12 (12,955 births)
  • Births halved by 1994, 64 yrs later
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 121 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 121 yrs · run 1880–2000
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 74
  • Highest: 1 in 74 boys born in 1964 were named Paul (1.3%)
  • Latest: 1 in 1,298 boys born in 2025 (0.08%)
  • Its best rank, #12 in 1930, was only 1 in 85 (1.2%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 1950s
  • 18.1% of all boys named Paul (253,202) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s4,196#35 (1889)#45
1890s8,181#20 (1896)#24
1900s12,636#17 (1909)#19
1910s78,216#12 (1916)#14
1920s132,384#13 (1925)#14
1930s125,774#12 (1930)#14
1940s183,364#17 (1949)#18
1950s253,202#15 (1958)#17
1960s242,503#16 (1964)#18
1970s136,390#23 (1970)#28
1980s104,397#35 (1980)#41
1990s58,931#49 (1990)#69
2000s30,964#100 (2000)#130
2010s19,030#177 (2010)#206
2020s8,125#252 (2020)#259

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Paul in 1975

girls
#1,365
78 births · 1 in 18,691 girls
boys
#29
12,017 births · 1 in 130 boys

Top girls' names in 1975

  1. #1Jennifer58,190
  2. #2Amy32,254
  3. #3Heather24,301
  4. #4Melissa24,168
  5. #5Angela23,361
  6. #6Michelle22,665
  7. #7Kimberly20,257
  8. #8Lisa18,139
  9. #9Stephanie15,775
  10. #10Nicole14,275
  11. #1,365Paul78

Top boys' names in 1975

  1. #1Michael68,418
  2. #2Jason52,159
  3. #3Christopher46,575
  4. #4James39,569
  5. #5David39,156
  6. #6Robert35,306
  7. #7John35,079
  8. #8Brian30,578
  9. #9Matthew28,527
  10. #10William25,561
  11. #29Paul12,017
More about 1975

girls

1,457,861 girls got a published name in 1975; 1 in 18,691 of them was named Paul, which outranked 87.1% of the 10,618 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 17.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Paul
  1. #1,350Reyna79
  2. #1,350Rosalba79
  3. #1,350Tena79
  4. #1,365Paul78
  5. #1,365Alberta78
  6. #1,365Brianna78
  7. #1,365Dyan78
  8. #1,375Deedee77
  9. #1,375Evangeline77
  10. #1,375Lavonne77

Tied with 9 names at #1,365; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1974
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,732Pepper#2,683 → #951
  2. ↑ 1,666Mandie#2,396 → #730
  3. ↑ 1,140Tiana#1,772 → #632
  4. ↑ 779Lacy#1,486 → #707
  5. ↑ 719Lacey#1,284 → #565
Fallers
  1. ↓ 447Nia#672 → #1,119
  2. ↓ 429Alethea#716 → #1,145
  3. ↓ 404Cicely#608 → #1,012
  4. ↓ 307Elaina#994 → #1,301
  5. ↓ 303Cristin#938 → #1,241

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,561,357 boys got a published name in 1975; 1 in 130 of them was named Paul, which outranked 99.5% of the 6,337 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 25.7% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Paul
  1. #26Joshua14,567
  2. #27Chad12,838
  3. #28Andrew12,756
  4. #29Paul12,017
  5. #30Jonathan10,904
  6. #31Shawn10,682
  7. #32Aaron10,548
Biggest movers since 1974
Risers
  1. ↑ 722Benjiman#1,692 → #970
  2. ↑ 702Marques#1,520 → #818
  3. ↑ 645Glendon#1,409 → #764
  4. ↑ 502Benji#1,124 → #622
  5. ↑ 471Regan#1,409 → #938
Fallers
  1. ↓ 905Toma#882 → #1,787
  2. ↓ 830Vashon#923 → #1,753
  3. ↓ 352Bruno#993 → #1,345
  4. ↓ 327Hollis#953 → #1,280
  5. ↓ 303Domenico#977 → #1,280

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1975 →