UK girl's name
Paloma
A Spanish name meaning "dove" or "pigeon".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Paloma is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Paloma popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #696, with 54 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 58 births.
This profile covers 711 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 93% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 711 living people in the UK are called Paloma. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Paloma ranked #696 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 54 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 58 girls were registered as Paloma.
- • Paloma ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #749 in 2023.
- • About 711 living people in the UK are estimated to have Paloma as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#696
2024
Births in 2024
54
Latest year
Peak year
2021
58 births
Estimated living
711
2026
Meaning
What does Paloma mean?
Paloma is a Spanish name that originated from the Latin word "palumba," which means "dove." It has been a popular name in Spanish-speaking countries for centuries, particularly in Spain and Latin America.
The name Paloma has been associated with peace, gentleness, and purity, as doves are often seen as symbols of these qualities. It has also been used as a metaphor for beauty and grace, which may have contributed to its enduring popularity as a given name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Paloma can be found in the 12th century Spanish epic poem "El Cantar de Mio Cid," where it was used as a character's name. This suggests that the name was already in use in the Iberian Peninsula during the Middle Ages.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Paloma. One of the most famous was Paloma Picasso, the daughter of the renowned Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. She was a successful jewelry designer and businesswoman, born in 1949 and still active today.
Another notable Paloma was Paloma O'Shea Arroyo, a Spanish aristocrat and socialite who was a close friend of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. She was born in 1922 and passed away in 1997.
In the realm of arts and entertainment, Paloma Herrera is a prominent Argentine ballet dancer who was a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre from 1991 to 2015. She was born in 1975 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest ballet dancers of her generation.
Paloma Faith is a contemporary British singer-songwriter known for her unique style and powerful vocals. She was born in 1985 and has released several successful albums since her debut in 2009.
Lastly, Paloma Pedrero is a Spanish playwright and screenwriter who has been active since the 1980s. She was born in 1957 and is known for her explorations of contemporary social issues in her works.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who have borne the name Paloma, illustrating its enduring popularity and cultural significance across various fields and regions.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Paloma over time
The chart below shows babies named Paloma registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Paloma, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 54 births in 2024, compared with 58 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Paloma by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Paloma was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #766 | 245 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1126 | 321 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1981 | 108 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1886 | 37 | 4 |
Geography
Where Paloma is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Paloma. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Paloma ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #749 in 2023.
Across the UK
Paloma in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#749 in 2023
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Paloma
-
Paloma Faith
actor; singer; ballet dancer; songwriter; film actor; jazz musician; recording artist
British singer
1981-
-
Paloma Baeza
film director; film actor
British actress, director
1975-
Related
Names similar to Paloma
- Poppy 52,802
- Phoebe 47,609
- Paige 24,717
- Penelope 13,109
- Pippa 6,346
- Polly 5,678
- Philippa 4,446
- Penny 4,394
- Paris 4,372
- Piper 3,961
- Pearl 3,516
- Paisley 3,419
FAQ
Paloma: questions and answers
How popular is the name Paloma in the UK right now?
In 2024, Paloma was ranked #696 for girls in England and Wales, with 54 births registered.
When was Paloma most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 58 babies registered as Paloma in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Paloma?
A Spanish name meaning "dove" or "pigeon".
How many people are called Paloma in the UK?
A total of 711 babies have been registered as Paloma across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Paloma most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Paloma ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #749 in 2023. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.