Girls' name · since 1979
Pa
Pa has 1,338 recorded births since 1979 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1992 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #6,159 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,338
- born since 1979
- 1990s
- peak decade
Pa sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 1,338 recorded since 1979.
Pa has 1,338 recorded births among girls since 1979, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1979 to 2006.
- #6,159 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 1,338 born since 1979
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Pa ranks #6,159 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 1,338 born since 1979, peaking in the 1990s.
- #6,159 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 1,338
- born since 1979
- 1990s
- peak decade
Pa's 1,338 recorded births place it above 91.48% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by California.
Pa's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Pa's SSA record in two at 1993 and the more recent half accounts for 38% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 62%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 2006, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1992 peak of 103, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Pa popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1979–2006
- Peak year (1992)
- 103
- Annual births at peak, across 28 years of records
Pa popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 1990 (Pa as boys' name)
Pa by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (710 births, 53% of the file).
1990s was Pa's strongest decade.
710 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 53% of all-time use.
Pa births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 10
1970s
10 births
- 1980s
1980s
535 births
- 1990s
1990s
710 births
- 2000s 83
2000s
83 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 710 births (53% of all-time use).
How Pa compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Pa's total volume
Pa by state
Where Pa concentrates geographically, total births since 1979
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 511 | 38.2% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 312 | 23.3% |
| #3 | Wisconsin | | 268 | 20.0% |
| #4 | Michigan | | 5 | 0.4% |
511 of 1,338 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Pa's data
- Pa's decade-level peak was the 1990s (710 total births); usage has since declined to 83 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Pas (511 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Pa
Nearby Names Like Pa
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Pa
Compare Pa side by side: Pa vs Patricia Pa vs Pamela Pa vs Paula
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Pa: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1992)
Similar record span (~27 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1979–2006 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Pa draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.