Paris
Paris was the 592nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 497 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 157th with 2,150 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 329 places. More babies were named Paris in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Gaulish, Greek
Say it PAIR-is /ˈpærɪs/
- Rank in 2025
- #592 girls, down 176 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 497girls
- Girls and boys
- 91% girls, 9% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20042,150 babies
- Total since 1880
- 42,923babies recorded
What does the name Paris mean?
Paris has two separate sources. As a place name it is the French capital, named after the Parisii, a Gaulish tribe; Wiktionary and Harrison (1918) give this, and Wiktionary tentatively links the tribal name with a word for "cauldron". As a Greek name it is the Trojan prince who carried off Helen, a name of unknown meaning. The socialite Paris Hilton made it a popular girl's name.
Parisii (Latin, “a Gaulish tribe”)Πάρις (Ancient Greek, “Paris, Trojan prince”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. Two sources; neither the tribal name nor the Greek name has an agreed meaning.
Related names: Parisa.
See also: Celtic names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Paris', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'PARIS', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Paris', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Paris popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #592 | #2,326 | 497 | 60 |
| 2020 | #416 | #2,089 | 750 | 68 |
| 2010 | #327 | #1,864 | 984 | 78 |
| 2000 | #473 | #815 | 585 | 198 |
| 1990 | #542 | #661 | 439 | 233 |
| 1980 | #1,717 | #848 | 66 | 109 |
| 1970 | #1,556 | #751 | 63 | 120 |
| 1960 | #1,480 | #960 | 56 | 63 |
| 1950 | #3,183 | #1,456 | 12 | 26 |
| 1940 | — | #1,671 | — | 18 |
| 1930 | #4,434 | #1,522 | 6 | 24 |
| 1920 | #5,596 | #1,065 | 5 | 44 |
| 1910 | — | #1,543 | — | 6 |
| 1900 | — | #954 | — | 9 |
| 1890 | — | #556 | — | 13 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Paris, counting every spelling?
Paris is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #582 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #592 for Paris on its own. Together these spellings went to 515 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris | 497 | #592 | 3,102 |
| Parris | 7 | #12,862 | 63 |
| Parys | 11 | #9,317 | 50 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Paris?
497 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Paris (0.14 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Paris 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 17 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Paris.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Paris?
About 33,100 people born in the US named Paris are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 11 and 26. That makes Paris 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.
Paris by state
How common Paris was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (5.0×), Georgia (3.0×), Louisiana (2.9×), South Carolina (2.9×), Alabama (2.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Colorado, Iowa, Washington.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Paris: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Paris, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Paris · Sibling names for Paris
Questions about the name Paris
What does Paris mean?
The origin of Paris is uncertain: two sources; neither the tribal name nor the Greek name has an agreed meaning.
How popular is the name Paris?
Paris was the 592nd most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 497 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 157th with 2,150 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 329 places. More babies were named Paris in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Paris a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 91% girls, 9% boys given the name Paris in the US.
Where is Paris most popular?
In 2021–2025, Paris was most common in Mississippi (1.92 per 1,000 girls), followed by District of Columbia and Georgia.