Paris
Meaning
from the French capital, named for the Parisii, a Gaulish tribe
One Paris, two histories
French · from the French capital, named for the ancient Celtic Parisii.
Greek · the Trojan prince of Greek mythology; the name’s older linguistic origin is uncertain. In this history, the name is usually masculine.
The story
Paris is two names that meet in one word: the Trojan prince whose choice started a war, a name so old its meaning is lost somewhere in Anatolia, and the French capital, named for the Parisii, the Gaulish tribe on the Seine. The American record: about 7,300 in the 1990s, 11,400 in the 2000s, the decade Paris Hilton made the name a headline, cresting at 11,800 in the 2010s, with 4,220 so far this decade. It goes to girls about 33,700 to 9,200, but the boys' side is old and real, Romeo's rival was a Paris. Among the city names it is the founding capital: London counts 54,800, Milan 28,200, and Paris, at about 42,900 all told, has the century of head start. City, prince, headline: the name has never needed just one story.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Paris peaked in the 2000s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
87 people · the #45,476 first name in Brazil · median age 25
Among people named Paris living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Paris
Most people given the name Paris in the United States are teenagers or young adults today.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Paris deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Paris truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Paris fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Does Paris fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Paris to your family’s tree →