boy's name
Pablo
PAB-lo
- Origin Spanish
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 70,837
the United States
#431
2025 births
Pablo is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "small" or "humble," the Spanish form of Paul. It ranks sixty-ninth in France and 431st in the United States, and is one of the few Spanish forms established in French naming.
- Pablo is a name of Spanish origin.
- Peaked in 2006, when 1,174 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,462 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Pablo over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 95 |
| 1890s | 121 |
| 1900s | 214 |
| 1910s | 586 |
| 1920s | 1,632 |
| 1930s | 1,428 |
| 1940s | 1,417 |
| 1950s | 1,967 |
| 1960s | 2,690 |
| 1970s | 4,020 |
| 1980s | 5,146 |
| 1990s | 8,033 |
| 2000s | 10,487 |
| 2010s | 7,862 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 4,741 |
What Pablo means
Pablo means small, or humble. It carries the meaning of Paul, from the Latin paulus, little, which was a Roman cognomen before it was a Christian name.
Where Pablo comes from
Pablo is the Spanish development of the Latin Paulus, small. Spanish turned the initial P and the medial consonant in its characteristic way, giving a form quite distinct in sound from the French Paul or the Italian Paolo. The name's international recognition rests largely on Pablo Picasso and Pablo Neruda, the latter a pen name taken by Ricardo Reyes in honor of the Czech poet Jan Neruda. Its establishment in French naming is part of a broader taste for Spanish and Italian forms, alongside Alessio and Tiago, rather than reflecting a large Spanish-speaking population.
Pablo in use
Pablo ranks sixty-ninth in France with about 855 births in 2025 and 431st in the United States, where it belongs to the Hispanic population rather than to fashion. Our records carry it from 1880 with a peak in 2006. Very few Spanish forms have entered the French top hundred, which makes Pablo's position there more notable than its American ranking.
How popular is Pablo?
In 2025, Pablo was given to 743 babies in the United States, ranking #431 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Pablo is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Pablo
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Pablo also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Pablo over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Pablo in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Pablo
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Pablo — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Pablo
What does the name Pablo mean?
Pablo means "small" or "humble," from the Latin paulus.
Is Pablo the Spanish form of Paul?
Yes, developed from the same Latin Paulus.
Was Pablo Neruda his real name?
No. He was born Ricardo Reyes and took the name in honor of the Czech poet Jan Neruda.
How popular is Pablo?
Sixty-ninth in France and 431st in the United States.
Is Pablo a girl's or a boy's name?
Pablo is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Pablo?
Pablo has 2 syllables.
Is Pablo a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Pablo currently ranks #69 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.