Paul
Latin Paulus, “small” or “humble,” adopted by the apostle.
Popularity, 1880–2025
Paul appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1880 to 2000. Its biggest year was 1957, when 27,012 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 18 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1916, at No. 12. In 2025 it ranked No. 262 for boys. All told, 1,404,135 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Payal (674) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Paula, Pauline, Silas
Explore Paul interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 4,196 | No. 35 |
| 1890s | 8,181 | No. 20 |
| 1900s | 12,636 | No. 17 |
| 1910s | 78,216 | No. 12 |
| 1920s | 132,384 | No. 13 |
| 1930s | 125,774 | No. 12 |
| 1940s | 183,364 | No. 17 |
| 1950s | 253,202 | No. 15 |
| 1960s | 242,503 | No. 16 |
| 1970s | 136,390 | No. 23 |
| 1980s | 104,397 | No. 35 |
| 1990s | 58,931 | No. 49 |
| 2000s | 30,964 | No. 100 |
| 2010s | 19,030 | No. 177 |
| 2020s | 8,125 | No. 252 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.