Given name & surname
Paolo
“small”·“a small or humble man”
Paolo is a variant of Paul. Interpretations include “small” and “a small or humble man” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Paolo is a variant of Paul. Interpretations include “small” and “a small or humble man” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Paolo is a variant of Paul. An origin associated with Paul is Latin.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Italian use, Paolo is used as a form of Paul.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1910. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Paolo through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 3,739
- 3,739 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2007
- 119 babies
- 2025
- 76
- #2,003 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +25%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 76 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,003 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 25.4% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 119 in 2007. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (21). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 6,323 as a first name in 2020; 481 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Paolo’s family of names
In Italian usage, Paolo has an affectionate form in PAOLINI. Paolo shares a linguistic root with Paul. In Portuguese usage, Paolo has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Pablo.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Paolo has relatives in 15 languages.
17 related names in 15 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 32
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Pablodoublet · Portuguese, Spanish
- Paolafeminine form · Italian
- Paulodoublet · Spanish, Portuguese
- PavelCzech
- Pauequivalent
- Paulinoequivalent
- Pavloequivalent
- Pavleequivalent
Show 24 moreShow fewer
- Poulequivalent
- PalAlbanian
- Pavlosequivalent
- Pauliequivalent
- Paulosequivalent
- Pawelequivalent
- Paulusolder form · German, Latin
- 保羅Chinese
- PawełPolish
- Paolilloderivative · Italian
- Paoluccipatronymic from · Italian
- PalushAlbanian
- Павлоequivalent
- Pállequivalent
- Pålequivalent
- Павлеequivalent
- Povilasequivalent
- Pálequivalent
- Павелequivalent
- Pavolequivalent
- Paavoequivalent
- ПолRussian
- ΠαύλοςGreek
- PaolBreton
People named Paolo
- Paolo GentiloniItalian politician (born 1954)
- Paolo MaldiniItalian association football player (born 1968)
- Paolo VeroneseItalian painter of the Renaissance (1528–1588)
- Paolo RossiItalian footballer (1956–2020)
- Paolo UccelloItalian painter (1397-1475)
- Paolo SorrentinoItalian film director and screenwriter (born 1970)
- Paolo Di CanioItalian football player and managerborn 1968
- Paolo BorsellinoItalian magistrate killed by the Mafia (1940-1992)
- Paolo BoselliItalian politician (1838-1932)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Paolo, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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