boys' name ★ peaked 2006

Paulo

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #1,559 Trend ↑ Rising 33%
Rank 2025
#1,559
among boys · ↑47 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
110
named Paulo · +3% vs 2024
How common
1 in 15,528
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2006
122 babies
All-time total
5,031
#1,772 all-time among boys
First recorded
1913
in Social Security records

Paulo popularity over time

5,031 babies have been named Paulo since 1913, 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 2023Boys

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 35 4 – #2,440
1920s 146 15 +317% #1,661
1930s 140 14 -4% #1,684
1940s 139 14 -1% #1,536
1950s 121 12 -13% #2,026
1960s 224 22 +85% #1,373
1970s 689 69 +208% #935
1980s 627 63 -9% #1,000
1990s 649 65 +4% #1,277
2000s 921 92 +42% #1,281
2010s 734 73 -20% #1,665
2020s (to 2025) 606 101 +38% #1,559

Where Paulo 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 116 0.07 outside top 500
2027 121 0.07 outside top 500
2028 125 0.07 outside top 500
2029 129 0.08 outside top 500
2030 132 0.08 outside top 500

Where Paulo is most popular

Boys named Paulo per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.059 per 1,000. Strongest in Texas, California, and Florida.

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 Paulo 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
Texas 118 0.134 +129%
California 112 0.123 +109%
Florida 34 0.072 +23%
Arizona 5 0.031 -48%
Georgia 6 0.024 -60%
Illinois 5 0.020 -67%
Pennsylvania 5 0.019 -68%
New York 6 0.014 -76%
Alaska – – –
Alabama – – –
Arkansas – – –
Colorado – – –
Connecticut – – –
District of Columbia – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Iowa – – –
Idaho – – –
Indiana – – –
Kansas – – –
Kentucky – – –
Louisiana – – –
Massachusetts – – –
Maryland – – –
Maine – – –
Michigan – – –
Minnesota – – –
Missouri – – –
Mississippi – – –
Montana – – –
North Carolina – – –
North Dakota – – –
Nebraska – – –
New Hampshire – – –
New Jersey – – –
New Mexico – – –
Nevada – – –
Ohio – – –
Oklahoma – – –
Oregon – – –
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 Paulo

Paulo is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #1,559 in 2025 with 110 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.

Since 1913, 5,031 American babies have been named Paulo. Its peak came in 2006, when 122 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 Paulo stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Paulo?

The median living Paulo is about 25 years old; half are between 13 and 44. An estimated 4,500 people named Paulo are alive in the United States today.

median 25 020406080100

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

Paulo year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 110 #1,559
2024 107 #1,606
2023 111 #1,572
2022 93 #1,779
2021 85 #1,833
2020 100 #1,618
2019 68 #2,125
2018 88 #1,757
2017 71 #2,012
2016 63 #2,182
2015 67 #2,102
2014 74 #1,955
2013 74 #1,910
2012 66 #2,086
2011 91 #1,665
2010 72 #1,951
2009 85 #1,785
2008 90 #1,704
2007 90 #1,694
2006 122 #1,344
2005 121 #1,281
2004 89 #1,513
2003 88 #1,488
2002 90 #1,440
2001 77 #1,571
2000 69 #1,679
1995 81 #1,310
1990 58 #1,496
1985 61 #1,225
1980 79 #1,020
1975 68 #999
1970 51 #1,164
1965 19 #1,845
1960 9 #3,025
1955 16 #2,028
1950 13 #2,179
1945 10 #2,356
1940 9 #2,626
1935 12 #2,216
1930 20 #1,684
1925 15 #2,160
1920 6 #4,166
1915 5 #4,257
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Paulo

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

  1. 1 Paulo Coelho Paulo Coelho Brazilian lyricist and novelist (born 1947) Contemporary
  2. 2 Paulo Costanzo Paulo Costanzo Canadian actor (born 1978) Contemporary
  3. 3 Paulo Futre Paulo Futre Portuguese footballer (born 1966) Contemporary
  4. 4 Paulo Freire Paulo Freire Brazilian educator (1921–1997) Contemporary
  5. 5 Paulo Muwanga Paulo Muwanga Ugandan politician (1924–1991) Contemporary
  6. 6 Paulo Fonseca Paulo Fonseca Portuguese footballer and manager (born 1973) Contemporary
  7. 7 Paulo Roberto Falcão Paulo Roberto Falcão Brazilian footballer and manager b. 1953 · Contemporary
  8. 8 Paulo Sousa Paulo Sousa Portuguese football manager and former player (born 1970) Contemporary
  9. 9 Paulo Henrique Ganso Paulo Henrique Ganso Brazilian footballer (born 1989) Contemporary
  10. 10 Paulo Ferreira Paulo Ferreira Portuguese former footballer (born 1979) Contemporary
  11. 11 Paulo da Silva Paulo da Silva Paraguayan footballer (born 1980) Contemporary
  12. 12 Paulo Maluf Paulo Maluf Brazilian politician (born 1931) Contemporary
  13. 13 Paulo Nunes Paulo Nunes Brazilian footballer (born 1971) Contemporary
  14. 14 Paulo Cézar Caju Paulo Cézar Caju Brazilian footballer b. 1949 · Contemporary
  15. 15 Paulo Autuori Paulo Autuori Brazilian football manager b. 1956 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Paulo Miki Paulo Miki Japanese Catholic martyr 1564–1597 · 16th century
  17. 17 Paulo Assunção Paulo Assunção Brazilian footballer (born 1980) Contemporary
  18. 18 Paulo César Carpegiani Paulo César Carpegiani Brazilian footballer and manager b. 1949 · Contemporary
  19. 19 Paulo Figueiredo Angolan footballer b. 1972 · Contemporary
  20. 20 Paulo Mendes da Rocha Paulo Mendes da Rocha Brazilian architect (1928–2021) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Paulo?

The median living Paulo is about 25 years old. Half of all living Paulos are between 13 and 44 years old.

How many people named Paulo are alive today?

An estimated 4,500 people named Paulo are alive in the United States, based on 5,031 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Paulo in 2025?

Paulo ranked #1,559 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 110 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Paulo?

5,031 babies have been named Paulo in the United States since 1913, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Paulo most popular?

Paulo peaked in 2006, when 122 newborns received the name.

Is Paulo a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Paulo rising or falling?

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

Will Paulo become more popular?

Paulo is trending upward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 132 boys named Paulo 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 Paulo?

Well-known people named Paulo include Paulo Coelho (writer), Paulo Costanzo (actor), Paulo Futre (soccer player).

Names like Paulo

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

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