Paloma: Name Popularity, History & Rankings (1880

Rank 2025

#793

among girls · ↑176 vs 2024

Babies in 2025

343

named Paloma · +28% vs 2024

How common

1 in 4,686

girls born in 2025

Peak year

2009

411 babies

All-time total

10,765

#1,588 all-time among girls

First recorded

1921

in Social Security records

Paloma popularity over time

10,765 babies have been named Paloma since 1921, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure

Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade	Girls	Per year	Change	Best rank
1880s	–	–	–	–
1890s	–	–	–	–
1900s	–	–	–	–
1910s	–	–	–	–
1920s	17	2	–	#4,687
1930s	–	–	–	–
1940s	–	–	–	–
1950s	–	–	–	–
1960s	5	1	–	#8,321
1970s	131	13	+2520%	#2,911
1980s	699	70	+434%	#1,325
1990s	1,877	188	+169%	#921
2000s	3,065	307	+63%	#706
2010s	3,230	323	+5%	#703
2020s (to 2025)	1,741	290	-10%	#793

Where Paloma is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year	Projected babies	Per 1,000 girls	Implied rank
2026	346	0.22	outside top 500
2027	349	0.22	outside top 500
2028	352	0.22	outside top 500
2029	354	0.22	outside top 500
2030	356	0.22	outside top 500

Where Paloma is most popular

Girls named Paloma per 1,000 girls born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.181 per 1,000. Strongest in New Mexico, California, and Oregon.

Vs national average

well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are girls named Paloma born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State	Girls 2021–2025	Per 1,000	vs national
New Mexico	17	0.699	+287%
California	387	0.460	+155%
Oregon	27	0.415	+129%
Arizona	47	0.335	+85%
Illinois	71	0.310	+72%
Washington	43	0.298	+65%
Colorado	31	0.278	+54%
Texas	218	0.271	+50%
Florida	104	0.243	+34%
New York	82	0.207	+15%
Massachusetts	19	0.157	-13%
Virginia	25	0.147	-19%
Tennessee	22	0.139	-23%
Minnesota	13	0.120	-33%
Utah	10	0.120	-34%
South Carolina	10	0.111	-38%
Nevada	5	0.108	-40%
Connecticut	6	0.103	-43%
Georgia	23	0.101	-44%
Pennsylvania	20	0.085	-53%
New Jersey	13	0.072	-60%
North Carolina	15	0.066	-64%
Maryland	5	0.047	-74%
Ohio	10	0.042	-77%
Indiana	5	0.036	-80%
Michigan	5	0.027	-85%
Alaska	–	–	–
Alabama	–	–	–
Arkansas	–	–	–
District of Columbia	–	–	–
Delaware	–	–	–
Hawaii	–	–	–
Iowa	–	–	–
Idaho	–	–	–
Kansas	–	–	–
Kentucky	–	–	–
Louisiana	–	–	–
Maine	–	–	–
Missouri	–	–	–
Mississippi	–	–	–
Montana	–	–	–
North Dakota	–	–	–
Nebraska	–	–	–
New Hampshire	–	–	–
Oklahoma	–	–	–
Rhode Island	–	–	–
South Dakota	–	–	–
Vermont	–	–	–
Wisconsin	–	–	–
West Virginia	–	–	–
Wyoming	–	–	–

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Paloma

Paloma is uncommon for girls in the United States, ranked #793 in 2025 with 343 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1921, 10,765 American babies have been named Paloma. Its peak came in 2009, when 411 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Paloma stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Paloma?

The median living Paloma is about 16 years old; half are between 9 and 26. An estimated 11 thousand people named Paloma are alive in the United States today.

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Paloma year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year	Girls	Girls rank
2025	343	#793
2024	268	#969
2023	266	#972
2022	281	#957
2021	309	#883
2020	274	#940
2019	290	#915
2018	298	#904
2017	303	#892
2016	290	#946
2015	306	#903
2014	314	#871
2013	359	#759
2012	346	#788
2011	317	#834
2010	407	#703
2009	411	#706
2008	377	#779
2007	329	#857
2006	317	#847
2005	303	#838
2004	289	#853
2003	281	#861
2002	241	#932
2001	272	#841
2000	245	#898
1995	184	#1,010
1990	138	#1,221
1985	60	#1,876
1980	31	#2,925
1975	9	#6,304
1970	–	–
1965	–	–
1960	–	–
1955	–	–
1950	–	–
1945	–	–
1940	–	–
1935	–	–
1930	–	–
1925	–	–
1920	–	–
1915	–	–
1910	–	–
1905	–	–
1900	–	–
1895	–	–
1890	–	–
1885	–	–
1880	–	–

Famous people named Paloma

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

1 Paloma Faith British singer (born 1981) Contemporary
2 Paloma Picasso French-Spanish fashion designer (born 1949) Contemporary
3 Paloma San Basilio Spanish singer (born 1950) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Paloma, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Paloma?

The median living Paloma is about 16 years old. Half of all living Palomas are between 9 and 26 years old.

How many people named Paloma are alive today?

An estimated 11 thousand people named Paloma are alive in the United States, based on 10,765 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Paloma in 2025?

Paloma ranked #793 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 343 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Paloma?

10,765 babies have been named Paloma in the United States since 1921, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Paloma most popular?

Paloma peaked in 2009, when 411 newborns received the name.

Is Paloma a boy or girl name?

Paloma is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Paloma rising or falling?

Paloma has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Paloma become more popular?

Paloma looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 356 girls named Paloma in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Paloma?

Well-known people named Paloma include Paloma Faith (actor), Paloma Picasso (painter), Paloma San Basilio (singer).

Names like Paloma

Names that sound and feel close to Paloma: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Paloma with similar names → More names starting with P →