Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2007

Paolo

Meaning A male given name from Italian, equivalent to English Paul Gender Boy Rank 2025 #2,003 Trend ↑ Rising 42%

A male given name from Italian, equivalent to English Paul.

Rank 2025
#2,003
among boys · ↑461 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
76
named Paolo · +36% vs 2024
How common
1 in 22,475
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2007
119 babies
All-time total
3,739
#2,195 all-time among boys
First recorded
1910
in Social Security records

Paolo popularity over time

3,739 babies have been named Paolo since 1910, 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
0.020.040.060.0818801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2004Boys

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 Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 10 1 – #1,785
1920s 22 2 +120% #4,075
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s 15 2 – #2,983
1960s 218 22 +1353% #1,357
1970s 345 35 +58% #1,272
1980s 453 45 +31% #1,216
1990s 642 64 +42% #1,366
2000s 1,009 101 +57% #1,314
2010s 633 63 -37% #1,843
2020s (to 2025) 392 65 +3% #2,003

Where Paolo is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (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 boys Implied rank
2026 80 0.05 outside top 500
2027 84 0.05 outside top 500
2028 88 0.05 outside top 500
2029 91 0.05 outside top 500
2030 94 0.05 outside top 500

Where Paolo is most popular

Boys named Paolo per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.039 per 1,000. Strongest in Florida, New York, and Texas.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Paolo 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 Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Florida 61 0.129 +226%
New York 32 0.074 +87%
Texas 54 0.061 +55%
New Jersey 12 0.060 +51%
California 51 0.056 +41%
Georgia 5 0.020 -50%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Arizona – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Illinois – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
Pennsylvania – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Carolina – – –
South Dakota – – –
Tennessee – – –
Utah – – –
Virginia – – –
Vermont – – –
Washington – – –
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 Paolo

Paolo is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #2,003 in 2025 with 76 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1910, 3,739 American babies have been named Paolo. Its peak came in 2007, when 119 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 Paolo stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Paolo?

The median living Paolo is about 23 years old; half are between 14 and 36. An estimated 3,600 people named Paolo are alive in the United States today.

median 23 020406080100

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

Paolo year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 76 #2,003
2024 56 #2,464
2023 75 #2,025
2022 70 #2,127
2021 64 #2,213
2020 51 #2,534
2019 35 #3,320
2018 63 #2,204
2017 61 #2,210
2016 62 #2,200
2015 57 #2,321
2014 69 #2,055
2013 56 #2,297
2012 80 #1,843
2011 73 #1,917
2010 77 #1,877
2009 104 #1,572
2008 98 #1,608
2007 119 #1,383
2006 104 #1,478
2005 102 #1,450
2004 113 #1,315
2003 95 #1,408
2002 102 #1,314
2001 87 #1,439
2000 85 #1,460
1995 64 #1,505
1990 58 #1,495
1985 61 #1,224
1980 35 #1,684
1975 25 #1,931
1970 43 #1,272
1965 23 #1,659
1960 10 #2,815
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 6 #4,162
1915 – –
1910 5 #1,785
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Paolo

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

  1. 1 Paolo Rossi Paolo Rossi Italian footballer (1956–2020) Contemporary
  2. 2 Paolo Di Canio Paolo Di Canio Italian footballer and manager b. 1968 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Paolo Sorrentino Paolo Sorrentino Italian film director and screenwriter b. 1970 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Paolo Borsellino Paolo Borsellino Italian judge (1940–1992) Contemporary
  5. 5 Paolo Gentiloni Paolo Gentiloni Italian politician (born 1954) Contemporary
  6. 6 Paolo Veronese Paolo Veronese Italian Renaissance painter (1528–1588) 16th century
  7. 7 Paolo Montero Paolo Montero Uruguayan footballer and manager (born 1971) Contemporary
  8. 8 Paolo Cannavaro Paolo Cannavaro Italian footballer (born 1981) Contemporary
  9. 9 Paolo Uccello Paolo Uccello Italian painter and mathematician (1397–1475) Medieval
  10. 10 Paolo Conte Paolo Conte Italian music artist and lawyer (born 1937) Contemporary
  11. 11 Paolo Lucio Anafesto Paolo Lucio Anafesto First Doge of Venice from 697 to 717 700–717 · Medieval
  12. 12 Paolo Soleri Paolo Soleri American architect (1919–2013) Contemporary
  13. 13 Paolo Stoppa Paolo Stoppa Italian actor (1906–1988) Contemporary
  14. 14 Paolo Villaggio Paolo Villaggio Italian actor, comedian, film director, and writer (1932–2017) Contemporary
  15. 15 Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli Paolo dal Pozzo Toscanelli Italian Renaissance astronomer (1397–1482) Medieval
  16. 16 Paolo Giovio Paolo Giovio Italian prelate, physician and biographer (1483–1552) Medieval
  17. 17 Paolo Boselli Paolo Boselli Prime minister of Italy during World War I 1838–1932 · 19th century
  18. 18 Paolo Nespoli Paolo Nespoli Italian astronaut and engineer (born 1957) Contemporary
  19. 19 Paolo Tosti Paolo Tosti Italian composer 1846–1916 · 19th century
  20. 20 Paolo Renier Paolo Renier Doge of Venice from 1779 to 1789 1710–1789 · 18th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Paolo?

The median living Paolo is about 23 years old. Half of all living Paolos are between 14 and 36 years old.

How many people named Paolo are alive today?

An estimated 3,600 people named Paolo are alive in the United States, based on 3,739 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Paolo mean?

A male given name from Italian, equivalent to English Paul.

How popular is the name Paolo in 2025?

Paolo ranked #2,003 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 76 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Paolo?

3,739 babies have been named Paolo in the United States since 1910, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Paolo most popular?

Paolo peaked in 2007, when 119 newborns received the name.

Is Paolo a boy or girl name?

Paolo is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Paolo rising or falling?

Paolo is on the rise, noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.

Will Paolo become more popular?

Paolo is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 94 boys named Paolo in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Paolo?

Well-known people named Paolo include Paolo Rossi (soccer player), Paolo Di Canio (soccer player), Paolo Sorrentino (film director).

Names like Paolo

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

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