Total births
1,398,293
Boys' name · since 1880
Paul
Paul has 1,398,293 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1957 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #262
- among boys today
- 1,398,293
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
1,398,293 babies have been named Paul since 1880, making it today's #262 boys' name.
Social Security Administration records show Paul recorded 1,398,293 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #262 nationally today, ahead of 98% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #262 among boys today
- 1,398,293 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 98% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Paul is currently the #262 boys' name in America, more common than 98% of boys - 1,398,293 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #262
- among boys today
- 1,398,293
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other boys
Paul vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#262
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 98% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
18% of everyone ever named Paul was born in this single decade.
1957
Single peak year
27,012 babies were named Paul in 1957 - its busiest year on record.
How Paul compares
1,398,293 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Paul's all-time total is 3,810x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Paul | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,398,293 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 27,012 | 23 | 22,252 |
Paul's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Paul splits its recorded history at 1953: 56% of all births land in the more recent half, 44% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1881 (291 births) -- compare that against the 1957 peak of 27,012 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Paul at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1957
Current rank
#262
Active since
1880
Paul popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1957)
- 27,012
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Paul popularity over time - girls
5,842 total births recorded since 1884 (Paul as girls' name)
Paul by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Paul's strongest decade.
253,202 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 18% of all-time use.
Paul births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 4,196
1880s
4,196 births
- 1890s 8,181
1890s
8,181 births
- 1900s 12,636
1900s
12,636 births
- 1910s 78,216
1910s
78,216 births
- 1920s
1920s
132,384 births
- 1930s
1930s
125,774 births
- 1940s
1940s
183,364 births
- 1950s
1950s
253,202 births
- 1960s
1960s
242,503 births
- 1970s
1970s
136,390 births
- 1980s
1980s
104,397 births
- 1990s 58,931
1990s
58,931 births
- 2000s 30,964
2000s
30,964 births
- 2010s 19,030
2010s
19,030 births
- 2020s 8,125
2020s
8,125 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 253,202 births (18% of all-time use).
How Paul compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Paul's total volume
Paul vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Paul by state
Where Paul concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 133,658 | 9.6% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 105,172 | 7.5% |
| #3 | California | | 104,294 | 7.5% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 81,792 | 5.8% |
| #5 | Massachusetts | | 78,627 | 5.6% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 72,691 | 5.2% |
| #7 | Texas | | 61,190 | 4.4% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 59,525 | 4.3% |
New York share of Paul's total US births 9.6%
Even split
133,658 of 1,398,293 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Paul appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Paul? ▼
Paul has been given to 1,398,293 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #262 as of the latest data. 27,012 babies were born in 1957, its single highest year.
When was Paul most popular? ▼
Paul was most popular in the 1950s decade with 253,202 total births. The single peak year was 1957.
Where is Paul most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Paul are New York (133,658 births), Pennsylvania (105,172 births), California (104,294 births).
How long has the name Paul been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Paul since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Paul? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Paulo, Paulino, Paula, Pauline, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Paul's data
- Paul's decade-level peak was the 1950s (253,202 total births); usage has since declined to 8,125 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Pauls (133,658 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Paul
Nearby Names Like Paul
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Paul
Paulo Boy
#1602 5,031 births
Paulino Boy
#5683 1,788 births
Paula Boy
913 births
Pauline Boy
775 births
Pau Boy
#4501 431 births
Compare Paul side by side: Paul vs Paulo Paul vs Paulino Paul vs Paula
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Paul
Lane #261
47,562 births · Peak 2019
Warren #263
184,518 births · Peak 1921
Omar #260
106,438 births · Peak 2007
Lennox #264
14,330 births · Peak 2022
Avery #259
66,880 births · Peak 2014
Blake #265
186,558 births · Peak 2012
Derek #258
239,060 births · Peak 1989
Jeremy #266
446,425 births · Peak 1977
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Paul: #262 Boys' Name - 1,398,293 Births, Peak 1957." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/paul. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Paul 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 June 2026.