How popular is the baby name Paul in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Paul.

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Popularity of the baby name Paul


Posts that mention the name Paul

Popular baby names in Quebec (Canada), 2024

Flag of Quebec
Flag of Quebec

Last year, the Canadian province of Quebec welcomed about 77,400 babies.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Emma and Noah.

Here are Quebec’s top 50+ girl names and top 50 boy names of 2024:

Girl names

  1. Emma, 461 baby girls
  2. Olivia, 452
  3. Florence, 449
  4. Charlotte, 447
  5. Alice, 407
  6. Charlie, 364
  7. Beatrice, 334
  8. Clara, 331
  9. Sofia, 327
  10. Livia, 298
  11. Lea, 285
  12. Romy, 281
  13. Mila, 280
  14. Juliette, 276
  15. Mia, 254
  16. Eva, 235
  17. Zoe, 234
  18. Rose, 232
  19. Victoria, 213
  20. Leonie, 212
  21. Billie, 206
  22. Julia, 205
  23. Rosalie, 198
  24. Chloe, 185
  25. Jeanne, 178
  26. Elena, 176 (tie)
  27. Flavie, 176 (tie)
  28. Jade, 173
  29. Elizabeth, 171
  30. Margot, 159
  31. Amelia, 158
  32. Adele, 152
  33. Eleonore, 149
  34. Ophelie, 144
  35. Raphaelle, 143
  36. Sophia, 140
  37. Clemence, 138
  38. Maeva, 135
  39. Camille, 130
  40. Lily, 129
  41. Ellie, 127
  42. Lena, 123
  43. Flora, 121
  44. Estelle, 109
  45. Aurelie, 107
  46. Eloise, 105 (tie)
  47. Marguerite, 105 (tie)
  48. Sophie, 104
  49. Jasmine, 102
  50. Evelyne, 101 (tie)
  51. Nora, 101 (tie)

Boy names

  1. Noah, 572 baby boys
  2. Leo, 531
  3. Liam, 494 (tie)
  4. William, 494 (tie)
  5. Thomas, 448
  6. Louis, 445
  7. Arthur, 435
  8. Edouard, 426
  9. Emile, 389
  10. Theo, 387
  11. Jacob, 354
  12. Charles, 346
  13. Adam, 340 (tie)
  14. Jules, 340 (tie)
  15. Nathan, 338
  16. James, 329
  17. Raphael, 303
  18. Laurent, 282
  19. Lucas, 274
  20. Theodore, 273
  21. Arnaud, 268
  22. Felix, 264
  23. Logan, 261
  24. Victor, 254
  25. Henri, 252
  26. Benjamin, 244
  27. Eloi, 237
  28. Elliot, 234
  29. Jackson, 228
  30. Gabriel, 226
  31. Samuel, 209
  32. Nolan, 204
  33. Milan, 203
  34. Ethan, 192
  35. Matheo, 181
  36. Antoine, 180
  37. Jayden, 168
  38. Olivier, 163
  39. Alexis, 159
  40. Leonard, 152
  41. Matteo, 139
  42. Eli, 137
  43. Robin, 131
  44. Hubert, 127
  45. Axel, 126
  46. Leon, 125 (tie)
  47. Zack, 125 (tie)
  48. Caleb, 124
  49. Jake, 123 (tie)
  50. Maverick, 123 (tie)

In the girls’ top 10, Clara and Sofia replaced Lea and Juliette.

In the boys’ top 10, Emile and Theo replaced Jacob and Nathan.

And what about the names at the other end of the spectrum?

Among those given to fewer than five babies, I spotted the place names Kenai and Sitka, the plant name Melilot (sweet clover), the French word Tantine (meaning “auntie”), and the Inuktitut versions of various Christian names:

  • Joanassie (based on John, Jonah, or Jonas)
  • Jusipi/Juusipi (based on Joseph)
  • Paulusie (based on Paul)
  • Silasie (based on Silas)
  • Tuumasi (based on Thomas)
  • Elisapee/Elisapi/Elisapie (based on Elizabeth)

I also noticed names from various indigenous languages, such as…

  • Aqiaruk, which means “stomach” in Inuktut.
  • Arnaq Talittuq, made up of the Inuktitut words arnaq, meaning “woman,” and talittuq, meaning “disappears, hides.”
  • Maikaniss, which means “wolf cub” in Innu. (The word maikan means “wolf.”)
  • Mispun, which means “it is snowing” in East Cree.
  • Missinak, which means “turtle” in Innu.
  • Nipinok, based on the Cree word nipinohk, meaning “last summer.” (The word nipin means “summer.”)
  • Piponik, based on the Cree word pipon, meaning both “winter” and “year.”
  • Putulik
  • Qumaluk
  • Tillikasak
  • Timangiak
  • Uashtessiu, part of the Innu term uashtessiu-pishimu, meaning “the month when the leaves become yellow” (i.e., October).
  • Uiviru
  • Ulluriaq, which means “star” in Inuktitut.
  • Weetalutuk

(I can’t give you the usual sampling of Quebec’s single-use names because, as of 2024, the province has decided to stop specifying which names were given to just one baby. The single-use names — along with the names that were given to two, three, and four babies — are now labeled “<5” in the data.)

Finally, here’s a link to Quebec’s 2023 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Quebec (public domain)

Popular baby names in France, 2024

Flag of France
Flag of France

Last year, the European country of France welcomed about 663,000 babies.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Louise and Gabriel.

Here are France’s top 50 girl names and top 50+ boy names of 2024:

Girl names

  1. Louise, 3,125 baby girls (approx.)
  2. Jade, 3,055
  3. Ambre, 2,815
  4. Alba, 2,660
  5. Emma, 2,520
  6. Alma, 2,380
  7. Romy, 2,260
  8. Rose, 2,220
  9. Alice, 2,200
  10. Anna, 2,110
  11. Lou, 2,070
  12. Inaya, 1,990
  13. Mia, 1,945
  14. Adèle, 1,940
  15. Lina, 1,935
  16. Julia, 1,870
  17. Iris, 1,855
  18. Agathe, 1,845
  19. Giulia, 1,740
  20. Charlie, 1,725
  21. Eva, 1,680
  22. Jeanne, 1,635
  23. Olivia, 1,620
  24. Léna, 1,560
  25. Nour, 1,535
  26. Victoire, 1,535
  27. Juliette, 1,510
  28. Luna, 1,490
  29. Léonie, 1,445
  30. Zoé, 1,365
  31. Chloé, 1,360
  32. Nina, 1,345
  33. Sofia, 1,335
  34. Léa, 1,300
  35. Alya, 1,220
  36. Charlotte, 1,190
  37. Romane, 1,185
  38. Victoria, 1,180
  39. Elena, 1,080
  40. Ava, 1,060
  41. Esmée, 1,035
  42. Alix, 1,020
  43. Lucie, 1,015
  44. Lola, 980
  45. Lya, 965
  46. Albane, 925
  47. Margot, 905
  48. Mila, 905
  49. Lyna, 880
  50. Gabrielle, 875

Boy names

  1. Gabriel, 4,550 baby boys (approx.)
  2. Raphaël, 3,470
  3. Louis, 3,335
  4. Léo, 3,325
  5. Noah, 3,260
  6. Arthur, 3,085
  7. Adam, 3,045
  8. Jules, 3,030
  9. Maël, 2,830
  10. Léon, 2,570
  11. Liam, 2,500
  12. Isaac, 2,480
  13. Eden, 2,460
  14. Sacha, 2,420
  15. Marceau, 2,290
  16. Lucas, 2,165
  17. Noé, 2125
  18. Gabin, 2,,025
  19. Mohamed, 1,995
  20. Aaron, 1,975
  21. Ayden, 1,845
  22. Malo, 1,830
  23. Paul, 1,800
  24. Hugo, 1,710
  25. Elio, 1,700
  26. Ethan, 1,660
  27. Ibrahim, 1,600
  28. Marius, 1,595
  29. Nathan, 1,430
  30. Naël, 1,425
  31. Victor, 1,410
  32. Eliott, 1,390
  33. Imran, 1,370
  34. Martin, 1,355
  35. Théo, 1,345
  36. Tom, 1,300
  37. Gaspard, 1,245
  38. Mathis, 1,235
  39. Côme, 1,215
  40. Léandre, 1,185
  41. Amir, 1,175
  42. Augustin, 1,145
  43. Lyam, 1,145
  44. Aylan, 1,120
  45. Nino, 1,120
  46. Ezio, 1,110
  47. Antoine, 1,090
  48. Milo, 1,065
  49. Robin, 1,060
  50. Andrea, 1,045
  51. Valentin, 1,045
  52. Zayn, 1,045

Interestingly, France did not reveal precisely how many babies were given each name this time around. Instead, totals were “rounded to the nearest multiple of 5” and ties were listed in alphabetical order.

The girls’ top 100 included Emy (57th), Ella (69th), Jannah (77th), and Judith (94th).

The boys’ top 100 included Timéo (55th), Pablo (75th), Anas (85th), and Lenny (97th).

Finally, here are France’s 2023 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources: Classement des prénoms en France depuis 1900 – Insee, Demographic report 2024 – Insee

Image: Adapted from Flag of France (public domain)

Top names for baby boys, letter by letter, in 2024

First letters of baby boy names in 2024 (U.S.)

The most common first letter for baby boy names last year was J (used 10.7% of the time), followed by A (10.5%) and L (7.5%).

The least common first letter was Q (used 0.1% of the time), followed by U (0.2%) and X (0.4%).

So, what were the most popular boy names of 2024 within each letter group?

Top boy names starting with A:

  1. Asher
  2. Alexander
  3. Anthony
  4. Aiden
  5. Angel

Top boy names starting with B:

  1. Benjamin
  2. Bennett
  3. Brooks
  4. Beau
  5. Bryson

Top boy names starting with C:

  1. Carter
  2. Caleb
  3. Cooper
  4. Charles
  5. Christopher

Top boy names starting with D:

  1. Daniel
  2. Dylan
  3. David
  4. Dominic
  5. Damian

Top boy names starting with E:

  1. Elijah
  2. Ezra
  3. Ethan
  4. Elias
  5. Ezekiel

Top boy names starting with F:

  1. Felix
  2. Finn
  3. Finley
  4. Francisco
  5. Fernando

Top boy names starting with G:

  1. Gabriel
  2. Grayson
  3. Gael
  4. Giovanni
  5. George

Top boy names starting with H:

  1. Henry
  2. Hudson
  3. Harrison
  4. Hunter
  5. Hayden

Top boy names starting with I:

  1. Isaac
  2. Isaiah
  3. Ian
  4. Ivan
  5. Ismael

Top boy names starting with J:

  1. James
  2. Jack
  3. John
  4. Julian
  5. Joseph

Top boy names starting with K:

  1. Kai
  2. Kayden
  3. Kingston
  4. Kevin
  5. Kaiden

Top boy names starting with L:

  1. Liam
  2. Lucas
  3. Levi
  4. Luca
  5. Leo

Top boy names starting with M:

  1. Mateo
  2. Michael
  3. Matthew
  4. Maverick
  5. Miles

(Mason, which ranked third in 2023, dropped to sixth last year.)

Top boy names starting with N:

  1. Noah
  2. Nathan
  3. Nolan
  4. Nicholas
  5. Nathaniel

Top boy names starting with O:

  1. Oliver
  2. Owen
  3. Oscar
  4. Omar
  5. Otto

Top boy names starting with P:

  1. Parker
  2. Peter
  3. Patrick
  4. Paul
  5. Phoenix

Top boy names starting with Q:

  1. Quinn
  2. Quincy
  3. Quentin
  4. Quinton
  5. Quintin

Top boy names starting with R:

  1. Roman
  2. Rowan
  3. Ryan
  4. Robert
  5. River

Top boy names starting with S:

  1. Sebastian
  2. Samuel
  3. Santiago
  4. Silas
  5. Sawyer

Top boy names starting with T:

  1. Theodore
  2. Thomas
  3. Thiago
  4. Theo
  5. Tyler

Top boy names starting with U:

  1. Uriel
  2. Uriah
  3. Ulises
  4. Umar
  5. Ulysses

Top boy names starting with V:

  1. Vincent
  2. Victor
  3. Valentino
  4. Vicente
  5. Vincenzo

Top boy names starting with W:

  1. William
  2. Wyatt
  3. Wesley
  4. Waylon
  5. Weston

Top boy names starting with X:

  1. Xavier
  2. Xander
  3. Xzavier
  4. Xavi
  5. Xyleek

(Xyleek debuted impressively in the data last year.)

Top boy names starting with Y:

  1. Yusuf
  2. Yosef
  3. Yahya
  4. Yehuda
  5. Yahir

Top boy names starting with Z:

  1. Zion
  2. Zachary
  3. Zayden
  4. Zayn
  5. Zyaire

Source: SSA

Boy names that debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 2024

lotus bud

Which boy names emerged in the U.S. baby name data in 2024 for the first time ever?

A total of 628 boy names debuted in the data last year, and the most impressive debut was made by Lahiam. Here are the top debuts overall:

  1. Lahiam, 152 baby boys
  2. Xyleek, 115
  3. Ezelio, 53
  4. Kenzai, 37
  5. Rahzi, 34
  6. Akaay, 32
  7. Zeovanni, 32
  8. Kisen, 31
  9. Acyris, 26
  10. Zyro, 24
  11. Arcaius, 22
  12. Neeom, 22
  13. Zyleel, 21
  14. Khamazi, 19
  15. Zyleek, 19
  16. Soan, 18
  17. Mattisyahu, 17
  18. Jasyi, 16
  19. Zamariel, 16
  20. Manoe, 15
  21. Vedang, 15
  22. Eirian, 14
  23. Mcaiden, 14

Colombian social media influencer Katy Cardona (who has over 10 million followers on TikTok and over 3 million on Instagram) had a son named Lahiam in March of 2024.

Here are some more debuts:

13 baby boysAviance, Bayker, Emren
12 baby boysNivam, Omiras, Syierre, Ziovanni
11 baby boysAliam, Dovy, Izam, Keiver, Meylan, Rivian, Rumani, Sabar, Tezekiah
10 baby boysAcyrus, Adwait, Arzen, Jeider, Jhyzir, Kameiro, Kazai, Kyis, Naunihal, Ohtani, Ravilucca, Renlen, Santori

Ohtani was inspired by baseball pitcher/DH Shohei Ohtani, the three-time MVP who won his first World Series last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers. (His first name returned to the data in 2023.)

Finally, here’s a sampling of the rest of the debuts:

  • 9 baby boys: Alessi, Giomani, Kavello, Rudeus, Seoul, Stolas, Zaelix
  • 8 baby boys: Azuryn, Banjo, Briadam, Cassio, Dieumerci, Ezzeldin, Kovey, Nischay, Ozian, Solano
  • 7 baby boys: Altai, Arize, Bellingham, Esoni, Frantzley, Gursher, Hakari, Kodis, Lyham, Omiri, Rennox, Woodmael, Yloan
  • 6 baby boys: Axios, Bandit, Camzen, Dunia, Ezrian, Franyel, Grizz, Gurtegh, Invictus, Josthin, Kallo, Lawakua, Mpano, Oceanus, Ripper, Ritsu, Sangwa, Vajra, Xolo, Yelson, Zelle
  • 5 baby boys: Atreides, Beaudie, Charter, Crow, Damjan, Elionai, Fatehbir, Galahad, Gratian, Jingze, Kanekoa, Lienzo, Methuselah, Nofal, Olukolade, Pressure, Rexley, Searcher, Stunner, Teotl, Thrasher, Vedavid, Whip, Xol, Yitbarek, Zanvil

Briadam was likely influenced by Cuban-American diver Briadam Herrera, who was featured on two seasons of the reality competition series Exatlón Estados Unidos.

Atreides probably refers to Paul Atreides, the main character of the recent movies Dune and Dune: Part Two, which were based on the 1965 book Dune by Frank Herbert.

(A few extra facts: Seoul is the capital of South Korea, Dieumerci means “thank God” in French, Grizz is the mascot of the Memphis Grizzlies, Invictus means “unconquered” in Latin, Kanekoa is a Hawaiian deity, Lawakua means “strong-backed” in Hawaiian, and Teotl refers to “a divine or sacred force” in Nahuatl.)

If you can explain any of the other debuts, please leave a comment!

Sources: SSA, Wikipedia, Online Nahuatl Dictionary, Wehewehe Wikiwiki Hawaiian Language Dictionaries

Image: Adapted from LotusBud0048a (public domain) by Frank “Fg2” Gualtieri