Girl · #984 in 2026

Paloma

Name: Popularity of the name Paloma in U.S. births, 1880–2026
Creator: U.S. Social Security Administration
License: https://www.ssa.gov/foia/
Keywords: Paloma, baby name, popularity, U.S., SSA, rankings

Paloma is a Spanish female given name, derived from Latin "palumbus", which means "dove", a symbol of peace. The name also can be understood as the Holy Spirit symbolized in this bird. Palomma, using double "m", comes from a Neapolitan dialect, made famous in the song "Palomma 'e notte" written by Di Giacomo and Buongiovanni in 1906.

Current Rank

#984

Peak Rank

#700 (2009)

Total Babies

11K

5-Yr Trend

-9%

1921

First Year

2026

Last Year

2009

Peak Year

#700

Peak Rank

11K

Total Count

Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Paloma

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Paloma

Paloma first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1921, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2009, when 411 Palomas were born — ranking #705 that year. As of 2026, Paloma ranks #984 for baby girls with 262 births, gradually falling (-9%). In total, more than 11K Palomas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

Names that sound like Paloma

Phonetically similar names — useful when Paloma is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Palomo
Palama
Palma
Pallone
Polemy
Palomba
Paulina
Polymer
Polina
Polony
Plomo
Pluma

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Paloma

What does the name Paloma mean?

How popular is Paloma in 2026?

In 2026, Paloma ranks #984 among girls' names in the U.S., with 262 babies given the name that year.

When was Paloma most popular?

Paloma reached its peak popularity in 2009, ranking #700 that year with 411 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Paloma most popular?

Paloma has historically been most popular in Puerto Rico, New Mexico, Oregon. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Paloma.

Is Paloma a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Paloma is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Paloma?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Paloma include Eloisa, Dorinda, Rylan. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Paloma

Paloma is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1921 and has accumulated 11K births in the dataset. Paloma's peak popularity came in 2009 when it ranked #700. Use the chart and map above to compare Paloma's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.