Pau
Masculine name of Catalan origin representing the Spanish word for peace.
Name Census estimates that about 432 living Americans carry the first name Pau. It is a predominantly male name (95.9% of registrations). The average person named Pau today is around 10 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pau births was 2018 (41 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pau. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
432
~ 1 in 793,413 Americans
Peak year
2018
41 babies that year
Average age
10
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,510
Tracked since 1989
Gender
Gender distribution for Pau
Pau leans heavily male at 95.9% of total registrations, but 18 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Pau as a male name
- Ranked #4,510 in 2024
- 23 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2018 (41 births)
Pau as a female name
- Ranked #14,867 in 2022
- 6 female births in 2022
- Peak: 2017 (7 births)
Popularity
Pau: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pau from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 274 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Pau remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pau by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Pau during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Paus live
Origin
Meaning and history of Pau
The name Pau originates from the Catalan and Occitan languages, which are Romance languages spoken in parts of Spain, France, and Italy. It is derived from the Latin name Paulus, which means "small" or "humble." The Catalan and Occitan forms of the name, Pau, emerged during the Middle Ages.
In the Christian tradition, the name Pau is associated with the apostle Paul, also known as Saint Paul. He was a notable figure in the early Christian church and is credited with writing a significant portion of the New Testament. The name gained popularity among Christian communities as a way to honor the apostle's legacy.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pau can be found in the 13th century. Pau Cristià, a Catalan writer and philosopher, was born around 1275 in Valencia, Spain. He is known for his work "Libre de les Bèsties," a philosophical treatise on the nature of animals.
Another notable figure bearing the name Pau was Pau Casals (1876-1973), a renowned Catalan cellist and conductor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century and was also an influential advocate for peace and human rights.
In the realm of art, Pau Gargallo (1881-1934) was a prominent Catalan sculptor known for his avant-garde works in metal and stone. His sculptures, often depicting human figures, were influential in the development of modern sculpture.
Pau Claris (1586-1641) was a Catalan politician and jurist who played a significant role in the Catalan Revolt against the Spanish monarchy in the 17th century. He served as the President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, the governing institution of Catalonia, during a tumultuous period of the region's history.
In the field of literature, Pau Faner (1888-1969) was a Catalan writer and linguist known for his contributions to the preservation and promotion of the Catalan language. He authored numerous works, including novels, poetry collections, and linguistic studies.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Pau, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and significance within the Catalan and Occitan regions.
People
Pau + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pau as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pau: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pau?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 432 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pau going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 793,413 US residents.
Is Pau a common name?
We classify Pau as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 435 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pau most popular?
The single biggest year for Pau was 2018, when 41 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pau is about 10 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pau a male name?
Yes, 95.9% of people registered as Pau in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.