Pablo
Pablo was the 430th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 743 babies. Its best year was 2005, when it ranked 284th; the most babies were born in 2006 (1,174). Over the last ten years it has moved down 36 places. More babies were named Pablo in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning small (Spanish form of Paul) · Latin, Spanish
Say it PAH-bloh /ˈpɑbloʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #430 boys, down 45 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 743boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20061,174 babies
- Total since 1880
- 50,439babies recorded
What does the name Pablo mean?
Pablo is the Spanish form of Paul, from Latin Paulus. DMNES and Harrison (1918) derive it from Latin paulus, "small, little". The apostle Paul, who took this Roman name, made it a major Christian name. Pablo Picasso and Pablo Neruda are famous modern bearers. Related forms include Italian Paolo, Portuguese Paulo and Russian Pavel, with Paula and Paulina as feminines.
paulus (Latin, “small, little”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Paul, Paulo, Paolo, Paulina.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Pablo', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Paul', DMNES, Durham University
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'PAUL', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
Pablo popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 69 since 1932.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #430 | 743 |
| 2020 | #385 | 797 |
| 2010 | #361 | 830 |
| 2000 | #297 | 1,010 |
| 1990 | #353 | 680 |
| 1980 | #358 | 496 |
| 1970 | #421 | 377 |
| 1960 | #521 | 232 |
| 1950 | #480 | 194 |
| 1940 | #570 | 109 |
| 1930 | #401 | 209 |
| 1920 | #532 | 133 |
| 1910 | #531 | 29 |
| 1900 | #507 | 22 |
| 1890 | #429 | 18 |
| 1880 | #594 | 11 |
How popular is Pablo, counting every spelling?
Pablo has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #433 for boys in 2025, against #430 on the official list, because Kason/Kasen/Casen and Mohamed/Mohammad/Mohammed and Chosen/Chozen/Chozyn move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Pablo?
743 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Pablo (0.21 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Pablo born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 11 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Pablo.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Pablo?
About 43,300 people born in the US named Pablo are alive today, with a median age of 25; half are between 14 and 40. That makes Pablo mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Pablo by state
How common Pablo was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (2.6×), Texas (2.4×), California (1.9×), Nevada (1.8×), New Mexico (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Michigan, Idaho.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Pablo: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Pablo, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Pablo · Sibling names for Pablo
Questions about the name Pablo
What does Pablo mean?
Pablo means “small (Spanish form of Paul)” (Latin, Spanish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Pablo?
Pablo was the 430th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 743 babies. Its best year was 2005, when it ranked 284th; the most babies were born in 2006 (1,174). Over the last ten years it has moved down 36 places. More babies were named Pablo in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Pablo a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Pablo in the US.
Where is Pablo most popular?
In 2021–2025, Pablo was most common in Arizona (1.17 per 1,000 boys), followed by Texas and California.