Paul Name Popularity

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How popular is Paul?

In 2018 the somewhat popular name Paul, ranked the 234th Most Popular Boys Name in the United States.

Presently one of the top 250 most popular, Paul has been a top 250 placer since the Social Security Administration began keeping records in 1880.

It reached its highest popularity RANKING of #12 for the first time in 1916 and as recently as 1931.

Nonetheless, the name was given to the greatest number of children in 1957 with 26,985 occurrences.

The least amount of newborns dubbed Paul in any given year was 291 in 1881.

Approximately during the years 1889-1895, 1897-1900, 1901-1921, 1922-1925, 1939-1947, and 1950-1954, the name Paul took a definitive turn upwards in popularity whereas clearly downward trends happened around 1964-1974, 1980-1985, 1988-2002, 2004-2010, and 2014-2017.

Paul's popularity has steadily decreased for some time. In recent years, continuing the trend, the number of babies given the name Paul has dropped.

What does the future hold for the popularity of Paul?

Currently, the name is at a very low point when compared to its most popular year.

The name Paul is favored by many parents but will probably continue to drift downward in popularity.

Relative to what it once was, Paul is much less frequently used as a given name.

*Mouse over the charts or scroll down to the table for data details.

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for Percentages.

		Paul (Girl)		Paul (Boy)
Year	%	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank	No. of Babies Given Name	Popul. Rank
2018		< 5	--	1,625	234
2017		< 5	--	1,690	225
2016		< 5	--	1,935	206
2015		< 5	--	2,025	199
2014		< 5	--	2,003	201
2013		< 5	--	2,034	198
2012		< 5	--	1,952	190
2011		< 5	--	2,073	186
2010		< 5	--	2,126	177
2009		< 5	--	2,425	160
2008		< 5	--	2,554	154
2007		< 5	--	2,765	147
2006		6	16,618	3,025	132
2005		5	18,466	3,141	130
2004		9	11,391	3,184	127
2003		7	13,470	3,250	123
2002		< 5	--	3,259	118
2001		7	13,128	3,515	109
2000		9	10,523	3,792	100
1999		6	13,972	4,020	94
1998		11	8,433	4,320	89
1997		14	6,726	4,750	79
1996		13	7,030	4,879	78
1995		12	7,393	5,414	71
1994		10	8,612	5,798	64
1993		9	9,313	6,479	56
1992		15	6,216	6,999	55
1991		25	4,170	7,677	53
1990		31	3,491	8,579	49
1989		43	2,641	9,029	49
1988		77	1,680	9,428	46
1987		64	1,830	9,700	46
1986		68	1,730	9,712	45
1985		74	1,616	10,313	42
1984		81	1,442	10,462	40
1983		84	1,407	10,831	39
1982		71	1,634	11,307	35
1981		75	1,576	11,782	35
1980		71	1,635	11,824	35
1979		74	1,564	11,649	34
1978		77	1,482	11,739	33
1977		76	1,461	11,811	31
1976		77	1,391	11,788	28
1975		78	1,371	12,017	29
1974		98	1,164	12,319	27
1973		77	1,324	12,906	24
1972		71	1,403	14,563	24
1971		95	1,202	17,477	24
1970		92	1,223	20,205	23
1969		121	980	20,694	22
1968		116	963	21,871	19
1967		87	1,138	22,840	18
1966		97	1,070	23,583	18
1965		91	1,105	24,926	16
1964		96	1,123	26,881	16
1963		79	1,236	26,679	17
1962		75	1,282	23,798	19
1961		73	1,301	25,625	18
1960		81	1,217	25,634	18
1959		75	1,243	25,694	17
1958		78	1,208	26,243	15
1957		64	1,330	26,985	18
1956		71	1,239	26,885	17
1955		65	1,262	26,677	16
1954		51	1,418	26,218	16
1953		50	1,386	25,510	17
1952		59	1,247	24,301	19
1951		50	1,327	22,846	18
1950		55	1,246	21,750	18
1949		57	1,207	21,585	17
1948		60	1,170	21,250	18
1947		63	1,136	22,792	18
1946		66	1,048	21,059	18
1945		37	1,327	16,992	17
1944		45	1,184	16,653	17
1943		47	1,189	17,251	19
1942		47	1,159	16,486	19
1941		63	931	15,161	18
1940		53	986	14,101	17
1939		47	1,049	13,333	17
1938		35	1,242	13,356	15
1937		44	1,081	12,880	15
1936		53	947	12,304	15
1935		59	902	12,559	14
1934		58	901	12,196	14
1933		51	971	11,850	14
1932		79	763	12,070	13
1931		91	705	12,252	12
1930		114	648	12,957	12
1929		91	734	12,432	13
1928		123	638	13,158	13
1927		102	716	13,606	13
1926		86	782	13,656	13
1925		81	832	14,175	13
1924		78	853	13,338	14
1923		76	843	13,363	14
1922		81	816	12,924	14
1921		60	962	13,168	14
1920		75	839	12,570	14
1919		59	923	11,306	15
1918		70	861	11,755	14
1917		62	887	11,155	13
1916		50	974	10,791	12
1915		44	1,008	10,328	13
1914		43	900	7,733	13
1913		31	976	5,966	14
1912		27	997	4,785	14
1911		15	1,224	2,393	17
1910		9	1,737	2,005	15
1909		13	1,198	1,676	17
1908		9	1,517	1,478	18
1907		13	1,127	1,358	20
1906		8	1,523	1,309	19
1905		6	1,877	1,262	19
1904		8	1,455	1,194	19
1903		8	1,414	1,081	19
1902		13	1,009	1,067	20
1901		6	1,625	924	19
1900		9	1,404	1,288	19
1899		6	1,550	885	21
1898		9	1,241	991	21
1897		5	1,738	923	20
1896		6	1,543	964	20
1895		8	1,277	933	20
1894		5	1,658	824	23
1893		8	1,152	743	25
1892		5	1,618	747	29
1891		< 5	--	564	31
1890		5	1,487	607	31
1889		< 5	--	556	35
1888		< 5	--	529	38
1887		< 5	--	449	40
1886		6	1,077	466	38
1885		6	1,023	428	43
1884		5	1,135	422	45
1883		< 5	--	358	48
1882		< 5	--	397	44
1881		< 5	--	291	55
1880		< 5	--	301	60

United States name popularity data is provided by the Social Security Administration and is based on Social Security card applications.

Data for a given year is not made available until well into the next year.

Data reflects what was recorded and has not been edited for errors, so for example the gender associated with a name may be incorrect.

The more babies that are given a particular name, the higher the popularity ranking. If multiple names have the same usage, the tie is broken by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. Therefore in the case of names with fewer occurrences, names with the same number of occurrences may have vastly different rankings because they will be interranked alphabetically.

To safeguard privacy, the SSA does not include names with less than 5 occurrences.

Please note, we update the data each May when the SSA releases new figures. All data changes at that time, including previous years, which will change minutely based on new information.