Paul
From the Roman family name Paulus, which began as a nickname meaning small or modest. The apostle Paul carried it from Latin into most European languages.
Paul in 2025
Paul was given to 1,316 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 507th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 2,519 babies born.
The history of Paul
Paul reached its highest point in 1957, when 27,076 babies were given the name, ranking 29th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 20th, in 1964.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 1,404,135 babies have been named Paul. Half of them were born before 1956, which places the name's centre of gravity with the Baby Boomers.
Paul by decade
| Decade | Babies named Paul | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 4,213 | 109 |
| 1890s | 8,238 | 87 |
| 1900s | 12,729 | 70 |
| 1910s | 78,626 | 24 |
| 1920s | 133,237 | 21 |
| 1930s | 126,405 | 23 |
| 1940s | 183,902 | 28 |
| 1950s | 253,817 | 25 |
| 1960s | 243,419 | 20 |
| 1970s | 137,205 | 30 |
| 1980s | 105,105 | 58 |
| 1990s | 59,077 | 87 |
| 2000s | 31,007 | 181 |
| 2010s | 19,030 | 326 |
| 2020s | 8,125 | 476 |
Where Paul is heading
Paul has fallen 35% over the past decade, from 2,032 babies in 2015 to 1,316 in 2025.
That is less than 5% of its 1957 peak — Paul is now a rare name in the United States.
Names like Paul
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Paul.