Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 2008

Pavel

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #3,225 Trend → Stable

A transliteration of the Russian male given name Па́вел (Pável).

Rank 2025
#3,225
among boys · ↑96 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
37
named Pavel · +3% vs 2024
How common
1 in 46,164
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2008
83 babies
All-time total
1,544
#3,873 all-time among boys
First recorded
1971
in Social Security records

Pavel popularity over time

1,544 babies have been named Pavel since 1971, 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
0.010.030.040.0518801900192019401960198020002020Peak 2008Boys

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 – – – –
1920s – – – –
1930s – – – –
1940s – – – –
1950s – – – –
1960s – – – –
1970s 28 3 – #4,825
1980s 41 4 +46% #4,693
1990s 261 26 +537% #2,293
2000s 599 60 +130% #1,798
2010s 427 43 -29% #2,377
2020s (to 2025) 188 31 -27% #3,225

Where Pavel 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 37 0.02 outside top 500
2027 38 0.02 outside top 500
2028 38 0.02 outside top 500
2029 38 0.02 outside top 500
2030 38 0.02 outside top 500

The story of Pavel

Pavel is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #3,225 in 2025 with 37 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1971, 1,544 American babies have been named Pavel. Its peak came in 2008, when 83 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 Pavel stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Pavel?

The median living Pavel is about 17 years old; half are between 11 and 24. An estimated 1,500 people named Pavel are alive in the United States today.

median 17 020406080100

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

Pavel year by year

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

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 37 #3,225
2024 36 #3,321
2023 32 #3,610
2022 31 #3,671
2021 25 #4,200
2020 27 #3,893
2019 35 #3,322
2018 40 #2,982
2017 41 #2,934
2016 40 #2,968
2015 34 #3,344
2014 48 #2,567
2013 45 #2,657
2012 54 #2,377
2011 43 #2,783
2010 47 #2,620
2009 71 #1,984
2008 83 #1,798
2007 74 #1,924
2006 62 #2,120
2005 59 #2,104
2004 63 #1,949
2003 53 #2,118
2002 45 #2,326
2001 41 #2,414
2000 48 #2,122
1995 31 #2,483
1990 10 #5,277
1985 – –
1980 5 #7,014
1975 – –
1970 – –
1965 – –
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 – –
1935 – –
1930 – –
1925 – –
1920 – –
1915 – –
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Pavel

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

  1. 1 Pavel Nedvěd Pavel Nedvěd Czech footballer (born 1972) Contemporary
  2. 2 Pavel Batitsky Pavel Batitsky Soviet military leader 1910–1984 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Pavel Sudoplatov Pavel Sudoplatov Soviet spy (1907–1996) Contemporary
  4. 4 Pavel Milyukov Pavel Milyukov Russian historian and politician (1859–1943) 19th century
  5. 5 Pavel Axelrod Pavel Axelrod Russian Marxist theorist and revolutionary (1850–1928) 19th century
  6. 6 Pavel Sukhoi Pavel Sukhoi Soviet aerospace engineer (1895–1975) 19th century
  7. 7 Pavel Nakhimov Pavel Nakhimov Russian fleet commander (1802–1855) 19th century
  8. 8 Pavel Grachev Pavel Grachev Soviet general (1948–2012) Contemporary
  9. 9 Pavel Florensky Pavel Florensky Russian priest and polymath (1882–1937) 19th century
  10. 10 Pavel Bermondt-Avalov Pavel Bermondt-Avalov Georgian-Russian warlord (1894–1973) 1877–1974 · 19th century
  11. 11 Pavel Cherenkov Pavel Cherenkov Soviet physicist (1904–1990) Contemporary
  12. 12 Pavel Dybenko Pavel Dybenko Ukrainian revolutionary and Soviet komandarm (1889–1938) 19th century
  13. 13 Pavel Belyayev Pavel Belyayev Soviet cosmonaut (1925–1970) Contemporary
  14. 14 Pavel Popovich Pavel Popovich Soviet pilot and cosmonaut (1930–2009) Contemporary
  15. 15 Pavel Alexandrov Pavel Alexandrov Soviet mathematician (1896–1982) 19th century
  16. 16 Pavel Pestel Pavel Pestel Russian revolutionary 1793–1826 · 18th century
  17. 17 Pavel Tretyakov Pavel Tretyakov Russian businessman, patron of art, collector, and philanthropist 1832–1898 · 19th century
  18. 18 Pavel Rotmistrov Pavel Rotmistrov Soviet military commander (1901–1982) Contemporary
  19. 19 Pavel Haas Pavel Haas Moravian-Jewish composer 1899–1944 · 19th century
  20. 20 Pavel Tsitsianov Pavel Tsitsianov Russian general (1754–1806) 18th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

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

How old is the average Pavel?

The median living Pavel is about 17 years old. Half of all living Pavels are between 11 and 24 years old.

How many people named Pavel are alive today?

An estimated 1,500 people named Pavel are alive in the United States, based on 1,544 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Pavel mean?

A transliteration of the Russian male given name Па́вел (Pável).

How popular is the name Pavel in 2025?

Pavel ranked #3,225 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 37 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Pavel?

1,544 babies have been named Pavel in the United States since 1971, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Pavel most popular?

Pavel peaked in 2008, when 83 newborns received the name.

Is Pavel a boy or girl name?

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

Is the name Pavel rising or falling?

Pavel has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Pavel become more popular?

Pavel looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 38 boys named Pavel in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Pavel?

Well-known people named Pavel include Pavel Nedvěd (soccer player), Pavel Batitsky (military personnel), Pavel Sudoplatov (military personnel).

Names like Pavel

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

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