Declining since 1994, #6,803 for boys today.
Popularity of Paulino since 1914
Babies named Paulino per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1995, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Paulino's real moment was 1928.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Boys |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 32 |
| 1920s | 125 |
| 1930s | 116 |
| 1940s | 73 |
| 1950s | 103 |
| 1960s | 139 |
| 1970s | 175 |
| 1980s | 216 |
| 1990s | 261 |
| 2000s | 261 |
| 2010s | 191 |
| 2020s | 96 |
Meaning & origin
Paulino is a classic Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian diminutive of Paul that has seen modest use in the United States since the early 20th century. It peaked in popularity in 1928, and has been on a steady decline since 1994. Despite its rarity today (rank 6,803 in 2025, with an incidence of approximately 1 in 142,340 births), Paulino carries a strong cultural resonance in Hispanic and Italian communities, often passed down through families to honor relatives or saints. The name never charted among the top 1,000 nationally, but its enduring if infrequent use reflects a tradition of masculine names ending in '-ino' that convey affection and heritage.
Paulino is the Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese form of the Latin name Paulinus, a diminutive of Paulus, meaning 'small' or 'humble'. In Roman times, Paulinus was a common cognomen, and it was borne by several early Christian saints, including Saint Paulinus of Nola. As a given name, Paulino has been used in Iberian and Italian cultures since the Middle Ages, often in honor of these saints.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Pau, Lino
Variants: Paolino, Paulín
Sibling names for Paulino
Names that share Paulino's style, for a brother or sister.
