At a glance
- U.S. rank 2025
- #792 of girl names
- Babies in 2025
- 343 (0.020% of girls)
- Trend
- Rising #937 in 2020 to #792 in 2025
- Peak
- #700 in 2010
- First recorded
- 1921
Meaning of Paloma
Paloma breezes in from sun-kissed Spain, pronounced pah-LOH-mah, and her very meaning is “dove,” the small white peace-messenger that even Bollywood loves to send fluttering above temple roofs at dawn. The name was hand-picked by Pablo Picasso for his jewel-crafting daughter, stars in the old Spanish love song “La Paloma,” and even spices up a grapefruit-tequila mocktail or cocktail—so she arrives wrapped in art, melody, and a hint of fiesta. On American charts, Paloma has glided at a steady height for almost a century, never crowding the sky yet never flying away, perfect for parents who want familiar charm without the classroom echo. Indian mums and dads hear the dove and think shanti, so Paloma sits happily beside Asha and Tara, promising gentle strength, bright creativity, and, yes, the occasional coo of playful mischief as she grows.
How to pronounce Paloma
English
- Pronounced pah-LOH-mah /paˈloːmə/
Spanish
- Pronounced pah-LOH-mah /paˈloːma/
Popularity of Paloma in the U.S.
Paloma was the #792 girl name in the U.S. in 2025, with 343 babies. It peaked at #700 in 2010 and has been in the top 1,000 since 2000. It first appears in the records in 1921.
- Rank among U.S. girl names (right scale, #1 at the top)
Year-by-year table, 1921–2025 58 rows
| Year | Babies | Rank | vs previous year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 343 | 792 | ▲ 176 |
| 2024 | 268 | 968 | ▲ 3 |
| 2023 | 266 | 971 | ▼ 16 |
| 2022 | 281 | 955 | ▼ 74 |
| 2021 | 309 | 881 | ▲ 56 |
| 2020 | 274 | 937 | ▼ 25 |
| 2019 | 290 | 912 | ▼ 9 |
| 2018 | 298 | 903 | ▼ 13 |
| 2017 | 303 | 890 | ▲ 54 |
| 2016 | 290 | 944 | ▼ 43 |
| 2015 | 306 | 901 | ▼ 31 |
| 2014 | 314 | 870 | ▼ 115 |
| 2013 | 359 | 755 | ▲ 33 |
| 2012 | 346 | 788 | ▲ 45 |
| 2011 | 317 | 833 | ▼ 133 |
| 2010 | 407 | 700 | ▲ 5 |
| 2009 | 411 | 705 | ▲ 73 |
| 2008 | 377 | 778 | ▲ 79 |
| 2007 | 329 | 857 | ▼ 10 |
| 2006 | 317 | 847 | ▼ 10 |
| 2005 | 303 | 837 | ▲ 13 |
| 2004 | 289 | 850 | ▲ 9 |
| 2003 | 281 | 859 | ▲ 72 |
| 2002 | 241 | 931 | ▼ 90 |
| 2001 | 272 | 841 | ▲ 54 |
| 2000 | 245 | 895 | ▲ 115 |
| 1999 | 203 | 1,010 | ▼ 35 |
| 1998 | 207 | 975 | ▼ 55 |
| 1997 | 217 | 920 | ▲ 37 |
| 1996 | 201 | 957 | ▲ 50 |
| 1995 | 184 | 1,007 | ▼ 51 |
| 1994 | 194 | 956 | ▲ 27 |
| 1993 | 188 | 983 | ▲ 27 |
| 1992 | 186 | 1,010 | ▲ 107 |
| 1991 | 159 | 1,117 | ▲ 102 |
| 1990 | 138 | 1,219 | ▲ 103 |
| 1989 | 118 | 1,322 | ▲ 191 |
| 1988 | 89 | 1,513 | ▲ 186 |
| 1987 | 71 | 1,699 | ▼ 294 |
| 1986 | 91 | 1,405 | ▲ 451 |
| 1985 | 60 | 1,856 | ▼ 468 |
| 1984 | 84 | 1,388 | ▲ 499 |
| 1983 | 55 | 1,887 | ▼ 37 |
| 1982 | 58 | 1,850 | ▲ 492 |
| 1981 | 42 | 2,342 | ▲ 524 |
| 1980 | 31 | 2,866 | ▼ 6 |
| 1979 | 30 | 2,860 | ▲ 238 |
| 1978 | 25 | 3,098 | ▲ 78 |
| 1977 | 24 | 3,176 | ▲ 787 |
| 1976 | 16 | 3,963 | ▲ 2,021 |
| 1975 | 9 | 5,984 | ▼ 624 |
| 1974 | 10 | 5,360 | ▲ 720 |
| 1973 | 8 | 6,080 | ▼ 600 |
| 1972 | 9 | 5,480 | back (not recorded in 1970–1971) |
| 1969 | 5 | 7,471 | back (not recorded in 1928–1968) |
| 1927 | 6 | 4,286 | back (not recorded in 1923–1926) |
| 1922 | 5 | 5,009 | ▼ 545 |
| 1921 | 6 | 4,464 | new |
Paloma by state
Paloma ranks #249 in New Mexico (2025).
Rank by state 20 states
| State | Rank | Babies |
|---|---|---|
| New Mexico | 249 | 6 |
| California | 429 | 78 |
| Illinois | 455 | 23 |
| Arizona | 477 | 14 |
| Washington | 478 | 14 |
| Oregon | 483 | 7 |
| Nevada | 508 | 5 |
| Texas | 546 | 58 |
| Florida | 674 | 25 |
| Colorado | 703 | 7 |
| Utah | 704 | 5 |
| South Carolina | 773 | 5 |
| Minnesota | 835 | 5 |
| New Jersey | 939 | 7 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,015 | 8 |
| Indiana | 1,032 | 5 |
| Virginia | 1,037 | 6 |
| New York | 1,087 | 13 |
| Tennessee | 1,127 | 5 |
| Ohio | 1,438 | 5 |
Notable people named Paloma
- Paloma Faith is an English singer, songwriter and actress known for hits like Picking Up the Pieces and her chart-topping album Fall to Grace.
- Paloma Suau is a Puerto Rican director, writer, editor and actress, and the daughter of television personality Gabriel Suau and actress Camille Carrión.
- Paloma Picasso is a French jewelry designer famous for her Tiffany & Co. collections and signature perfumes.
- Paloma Tocci is a Brazilian journalist and TV host.
- Paloma Ford is an American R&B singer who has worked with Macy Gray, Meek Mill, Tory Lanez and Rick Ross.
More people named Paloma 10 more
- Paloma Herrera is an acclaimed Argentine ballerina who spent 24 years as a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre before directing the Colón Theater Ballet from 2017 to 2022.
- American model Paloma Elsesser made history in 2023 as the first plus-size winner of Model of the Year at the Fashion Awards and later walked in the 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
- Paloma Bernardi is a Brazilian actress best known for playing Mia in the telenovela Viver a Vida.
- Paloma Berganza is a musician who studied guitar at Madrid's Real Conservatorio Superior de Música and trained her voice in classical and jazz singing with several respected teachers, including Jorge Cardoso.
- Paloma Duarte is a Brazilian actress known for films like Two Sons of Francisco and Leo e Bia.
- Paloma Rao is an Indian actress who has also worked as a music VJ and radio jockey.
- Paloma Rodríguez Vázquez was a Spanish politician who represented the Socialists' Party of Galicia in the Congress of Deputies from 2012 to 2015.
- Paloma Valdés is a retired Spanish actress known for her work in film and television.
- Paloma Lago — Paloma Pérez-Lago González is a Spanish model and TV presenter.
- Paloma Márquez is an actress from Mexico.