Paolo
Masculine · “small”
Paolo is the Italian of Paul, and the Latin behind it is small — paulus, an ordinary adjective that the apostle appears to have chosen.
How old is the name Paolo?
Paolo first appears in US birth records in 1910 — 115 years ago. The typical Paolo alive today was born around 2001, making them about 24 years old. About 3,600 people named Paolo are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Paolo most popular?
Paolo peaked in 1983, reaching #1205 nationally. Today it ranks #1992, 787 places below that high. See the whole 1983 chart.
Paolo appears on this list:
Where it comes from
From paulus to Paolo
The story of Paolo
Paul wrote the letters that shaped Christian theology more than any other single author, and his name became one of the most-used in Europe. Italian made Paolo, carried by Uccello, Veronese and a dozen popes as Paulus. Italian emigration brought it to America, where it appears in the registers in current use.
Meaning
small, humble
From the Latin paulus, 'small' or 'little'. It was a Roman cognomen before it was a Christian name. Saul of Tarsus used Paulus in his letters to the Greek-speaking world; whether he already held it as a Roman name or chose it is debated, but the word's meaning is not.
How the name formed
- paulus
- Paulus
- Paolo
Related forms: Paolo · Paulo · Pablo · Paul
Pronouncing Paolo
PAH-oh-loh
Three syllables, stress on the first. The ao is two separate vowels in Italian, which English tends to collapse.
Nicknames for Paolo
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1910
- Most boys named
- 2007119 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1205reached in 1983
- Change vs 2024
- +35.7%76 in 2025, from 56
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Paolo in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Paolo in Italian — same name
- Paulo in Portuguese — related form
- Pablo in Spanish — related form
- Paul in English — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Florida, Texas.
Paolos among us
people named Paolo are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 22,475 born in 2025 was named Paolo
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Gabino test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Paolo's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Gabino climbed just as high around 1904, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Gabino's path sketches the road Paolo is walking now.
Paolo is on its second act. Revived names age gently: the generation that wore them first is far enough away that the name feels classic rather than dated.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Paolo is headed
Paolo should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Paolo beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Paolo in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The small meaning is transparent and its likely deliberate adoption is a good story.
- It is standard in Italian without any change of spelling.
- Paul is available as a shorter and fully current alternative.
- English speakers collapse the ao into one syllable.
- Paulo, Paolo and Pablo are three languages' forms and are easily mixed up.
- Paul is what English speakers will assume.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Paolo to the vote.
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What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Paolo
Masculine · #1992 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Paolos are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 3,600 people named Paolo are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Paolo in 2025?
- Paolo ranks #1992 among US boy names in 2025, with 76 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Paolo?
- About 1 in every 22,475 US boys born in 2025 was named Paolo — 76 in all.
- Will my child share the name Paolo with classmates?
- Paolo will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Paolo
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Buck#1992 · Chosyn#1992 · Cadence#1992 · Hashim#1992 · Ori#1992 · Exodus#1992 · Abubakr#1992 · Jed#1992
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Paolo? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Paolo and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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