Paul remains a common boys' name (#262 in 2025), down from a peak of #12 in 1916.
Paul is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #262 for boy births in the United States (and #507 across all names), given to 1,316 babies. Paul was first reported in SSA data in 1880 and peaked in 1957 (27,012 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,316 | 1,316 | — | #262 |
| 2024 | 1,330 | 1,330 | — | #262 |
| 2023 | 1,359 | 1,359 | — | #256 |
| 2022 | 1,334 | 1,334 | — | #262 |
| 2021 | 1,385 | 1,385 | — | #257 |
| 2020 | 1,401 | 1,401 | — | #252 |
| 2019 | 1,513 | 1,513 | — | #245 |
| 2018 | 1,635 | 1,635 | — | #234 |
| 2017 | 1,699 | 1,699 | — | #225 |
| 2016 | 1,941 | 1,941 | — | #206 |
| 2015 | 2,032 | 2,044 | — | #200 |
| 2014 | 2,007 | 2,024 | — | #201 |
| 2013 | 2,038 | 2,038 | — | #198 |
| 2012 | 1,958 | 1,963 | — | #190 |
| 2011 | 2,078 | 2,090 | — | #186 |
| 2010 | 2,129 | 2,149 | — | #177 |
| 2009 | 2,428 | 2,443 | — | #160 |
| 2008 | 2,555 | 2,570 | — | #154 |
| 2007 | 2,771 | 2,788 | — | #147 |
| 2006 | 3,043 | 3,064 | #16,623 | #132 |
| 2005 | 3,150 | 3,161 | #18,482 | #130 |
| 2004 | 3,200 | 3,213 | #11,395 | #127 |
| 2003 | 3,263 | 3,286 | #13,476 | #123 |
| 2002 | 3,263 | 3,281 | — | #118 |
| 2001 | 3,530 | 3,545 | #13,133 | #109 |
| 2000 | 3,804 | 3,831 | #10,526 | #100 |
| 1999 | 4,026 | 4,044 | #13,974 | #94 |
| 1998 | 4,332 | 4,361 | #8,435 | #89 |
| 1997 | 4,766 | — | #6,727 | #79 |
| 1996 | 4,896 | — | #7,031 | #78 |
| 1995 | 5,426 | — | #7,396 | #71 |
| 1994 | 5,808 | — | #8,611 | #64 |
| 1993 | 6,490 | — | #9,314 | #56 |
| 1992 | 7,018 | — | #6,221 | #55 |
| 1991 | 7,705 | — | #4,169 | #53 |
| 1990 | 8,610 | — | #3,492 | #49 |
| 1989 | 9,072 | — | #2,641 | #49 |
| 1988 | 9,515 | — | #1,682 | #46 |
| 1987 | 9,771 | — | #1,830 | #46 |
| 1986 | 9,783 | — | #1,731 | #45 |
| 1985 | 10,389 | — | #1,615 | #42 |
| 1984 | 10,541 | — | #1,442 | #40 |
| 1983 | 10,912 | — | #1,408 | #39 |
| 1982 | 11,381 | — | #1,634 | #35 |
| 1981 | 11,851 | — | #1,576 | #35 |
| 1980 | 11,890 | — | #1,634 | #35 |
| 1979 | 11,704 | — | #1,564 | #34 |
| 1978 | 11,810 | — | #1,483 | #33 |
| 1977 | 11,874 | — | #1,461 | #31 |
| 1976 | 11,858 | — | #1,391 | #28 |
| 1975 | 12,095 | — | #1,372 | #29 |
| 1974 | 12,408 | — | #1,164 | #27 |
| 1973 | 12,978 | — | #1,326 | #24 |
| 1972 | 14,626 | — | #1,402 | #24 |
| 1971 | 17,564 | — | #1,203 | #24 |
| 1970 | 20,288 | — | #1,222 | #23 |
| 1969 | 20,811 | — | #981 | #22 |
| 1968 | 21,981 | — | #963 | #19 |
| 1967 | 22,908 | — | #1,139 | #18 |
| 1966 | 23,675 | — | #1,070 | #18 |
| 1965 | 25,010 | — | #1,105 | #16 |
| 1964 | 26,970 | — | #1,122 | #16 |
| 1963 | 26,751 | — | #1,236 | #17 |
| 1962 | 23,877 | — | #1,281 | #19 |
| 1961 | 25,713 | — | #1,300 | #18 |
| 1960 | 25,723 | — | #1,215 | #18 |
| 1959 | 25,787 | — | #1,242 | #17 |
| 1958 | 26,342 | — | #1,209 | #15 |
| 1957 | 27,076 | — | #1,331 | #18 |
| 1956 | 26,966 | — | #1,257 | #17 |
| 1955 | 26,765 | — | #1,269 | #16 |
| 1954 | 26,270 | — | #1,433 | #16 |
| 1953 | 25,559 | — | #1,386 | #16 |
| 1952 | 24,352 | — | #1,233 | #19 |
| 1951 | 22,903 | — | #1,327 | #18 |
| 1950 | 21,797 | — | #1,246 | #18 |
| 1949 | 21,646 | — | #1,206 | #17 |
| 1948 | 21,312 | — | #1,170 | #18 |
| 1947 | 22,859 | — | #1,136 | #18 |
| 1946 | 21,129 | — | #1,048 | #18 |
| 1945 | 17,032 | — | #1,327 | #17 |
| 1944 | 16,706 | — | #1,184 | #17 |
| 1943 | 17,300 | — | #1,189 | #19 |
| 1942 | 16,539 | — | #1,159 | #19 |
| 1941 | 15,229 | — | #931 | #18 |
| 1940 | 14,150 | — | #986 | #17 |
| 1939 | 13,384 | — | #1,049 | #17 |
| 1938 | 13,395 | — | #1,242 | #15 |
| 1937 | 12,925 | — | #1,082 | #15 |
| 1936 | 12,360 | — | #948 | #15 |
| 1935 | 12,622 | — | #901 | #14 |
| 1934 | 12,254 | — | #901 | #14 |
| 1933 | 11,905 | — | #971 | #14 |
| 1932 | 12,145 | — | #764 | #13 |
| 1931 | 12,346 | — | #705 | #12 |
| 1930 | 13,069 | — | #648 | #12 |
| 1929 | 12,522 | — | #734 | #13 |
| 1928 | 13,283 | — | #637 | #13 |
| 1927 | 13,706 | — | #716 | #13 |
| 1926 | 13,739 | — | #782 | #13 |
| 1925 | 14,256 | — | #832 | #13 |
| 1924 | 13,416 | — | #852 | #14 |
| 1923 | 13,438 | — | #843 | #14 |
| 1922 | 13,003 | — | #816 | #14 |
| 1921 | 13,229 | — | #962 | #14 |
| 1920 | 12,645 | — | #840 | #14 |
| 1919 | 11,364 | — | #922 | #15 |
| 1918 | 11,825 | — | #861 | #14 |
| 1917 | 11,218 | — | #887 | #13 |
| 1916 | 10,840 | — | #974 | #12 |
| 1915 | 10,372 | — | #1,008 | #13 |
| 1914 | 7,776 | — | #900 | #13 |
| 1913 | 5,997 | — | #976 | #14 |
| 1912 | 4,812 | — | #997 | #14 |
| 1911 | 2,408 | — | #1,224 | #17 |
| 1910 | 2,014 | — | #1,737 | #15 |
| 1909 | 1,689 | — | #1,198 | #17 |
| 1908 | 1,487 | — | #1,517 | #18 |
| 1907 | 1,371 | — | #1,127 | #20 |
| 1906 | 1,316 | — | #1,523 | #19 |
| 1905 | 1,268 | — | #1,877 | #19 |
| 1904 | 1,202 | — | #1,455 | #19 |
| 1903 | 1,089 | — | #1,414 | #19 |
| 1902 | 1,080 | — | #1,009 | #20 |
| 1901 | 930 | — | #1,625 | #19 |
| 1900 | 1,297 | — | #1,404 | #19 |
| 1899 | 891 | — | #1,550 | #21 |
| 1898 | 1,000 | — | #1,241 | #21 |
| 1897 | 928 | — | #1,738 | #20 |
| 1896 | 970 | — | #1,543 | #20 |
| 1895 | 941 | — | #1,277 | #20 |
| 1894 | 829 | — | #1,658 | #23 |
| 1893 | 751 | — | #1,152 | #25 |
| 1892 | 752 | — | #1,618 | #29 |
| 1891 | 564 | — | — | #31 |
| 1890 | 612 | — | #1,487 | #31 |
| 1889 | 555 | — | — | #35 |
| 1888 | 529 | — | — | #38 |
| 1887 | 449 | — | — | #40 |
| 1886 | 472 | — | #1,077 | #38 |
| 1885 | 434 | — | #1,023 | #43 |
| 1884 | 427 | — | #1,135 | #45 |
| 1883 | 358 | — | — | #48 |
| 1882 | 397 | — | — | #44 |
| 1881 | 291 | — | — | #55 |
| 1880 | 301 | — | — | #60 |