Paulo

Paulo - A very unique male name

Paulo appeared on the charts for the first time in 1915 on position #1689. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Paulo and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Paulo? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Paulo. The baby boy name Paulo was given to 63 baby boys in 2025, ranking #1556 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 23,274 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Paulo peaked in popularity 53 years ago in 1973 on position 757.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Paulo, 1-5?

Paulo is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Paulo is currently topping the baby name charts in Texas at position #871 - and is the least popular in Illinois at position #1,436.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Paulo is where you live.

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Paulo origin and meaning

Latin, via Portuguese

Portuguese form of Paul, from Latin paulus, 'small, humble'

Paulo is the Portuguese form of Paul, familiar worldwide through writer Paulo Coelho and the city of São Paulo. In the U.S. it has been recorded since 1915 and is rising modestly.

Attested etymology

Paulo is a 5 letter name with 2 syllables.

To see famous people named Paulo, pop culture references for the name Paulo and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Paulo

We've found the following names that sound similar to Paulo, sorted by popularity.

Paul / Pablo / Phil / Paolo / Pavel / Pawel / Polo / Paula / Paola / Paublo /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Paulo

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Paulo a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Paulo?

2 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

POW-loh · /ˈpaʊ.loʊ/

Around the world

• Paulo (Portuguese) — Used as-is in Portuguese
• Pablo (Spanish) — The Spanish form
• Paul (English) — The English form

Spellings and nicknames

• Paul — The English form, a separate established name

Famous bearers

• Paulo Coelho — Brazilian novelist, author of The Alchemist (b. 1947) Contemporary

Style

ClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Paulo for a classic apostolic name in its warm Portuguese form.

Worth knowing

• Will often be Anglicised to Paul or spelled Pablo