Total births
255
Girls' name · since 2008
Paw
Paw has 255 recorded births since 2008 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2016 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #8821
- among girls today
- 255
- born since 2008
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 50%
- more common than other girls
Paw currently ranks #8821 among girls' names in America, with 255 babies recorded since 2008.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Paw has been recorded 255 times among girls since 2008, currently ranked #8821 nationally and more common than 50% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 2008 to 2024.
- #8821 among girls today
- 255 born since 2008
- 2010s peak decade
- 50% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Paw is currently the #8821 girls' name in America, more common than 50% of girls - 255 born since 2008, peaking in the 2010s.
- #8821
- among girls today
- 255
- born since 2008
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 50%
- more common than other girls
Paw vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8821
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 50% of names given to girls today.
2010s
Peak decade
71% of everyone ever named Paw was born in this single decade.
2016
Single peak year
26 babies were named Paw in 2016 - its busiest year on record.
How Paw compares
255 42th percentile among 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls 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
Paw's all-time total is 33% below the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Paw | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 255 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 26 | 48 | 19,840 |
Paw's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Paw's full recorded timeline at 2016, 49% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 51% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 2008, with just 7 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2016 peak of 26 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Paw at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2016
Current rank
#8,821
Active since
2008
Paw popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2008–2024
- Peak year (2016)
- 26
- Annual births at peak, across 17 years of records
Paw by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Paw's strongest decade.
181 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 71% of all-time use.
Paw births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 2000s 14
2000s
14 births
- 2010s
2010s
181 births
- 2020s 60
2020s
60 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 181 births (71% of all-time use).
Paw by state
Where Paw concentrates geographically, total births since 2008
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Minnesota | | 23 | 9.0% |
Minnesota share of Paw's total US births 9.0%
23 of 255 births nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Paw? ▼
Paw has been given to 255 babies in the U.S. since 2008, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #8821 as of the latest data. 26 babies were born in 2016, its single highest year.
When was Paw most popular? ▼
Paw was most popular in the 2010s decade with 181 total births. The single peak year was 2016.
Where is Paw most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Paw are Minnesota (23 births).
How long has the name Paw been used? ▼
Records for Paw go back to 2008, giving 17 years of history through 2024.
What names are similar to Paw? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Pawnee. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Paw's data
- Paw's decade-level peak was the 2010s (181 total births); usage has since declined to 60 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Minnesota records the most Paws (23 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Minnesota 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 Paw
Nearby Names Like Paw
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Paw
Compare Paw side by side: Paw vs Pawnee
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Paw
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, 2008–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Paw: #8821 Girls' Name - 255 Births, Peak 2016." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/paw. 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 Paw 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.