The baby name Paloma offers an easy English-Spanish crossover option with a mix of artistic and nature-name appeal.
Thanks to Joanna for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
WHAT DOES THE NAME PALOMA MEAN?
If you know your Spanish, this baby girl name is quite straightforward. It comes from the Latin word palumbus, meaning wood pigeon.
But pigeons have lousy PR. So you might prefer this bird’s alternate name: rock dove.
It’s also the Spanish word for dove.
SYMBOL OF PEACE
Bird names are trending for girls, starting with midcentury Robin and 1990s Raven, accelerating into favorites like Wren today. But there’s more to this name.
In the ancient world, doves were sacred to goddess of love, Aphrodite.
White doves symbolize peace and purity.
They’ve also been associated with the Holy Spirit in Christianity.
In the Old Testament, after many days aboard the ark, Noah released a dove. When it returned carrying an olive branch, he knew they could find land once again.
And in Madrid, La Virgen de la Paloma is another name for Mary. She’s the patron saint of firefighters in the city.
Other religious traditions attach importance to pigeons, too. It is quite a bit of weight for a small bird.
IN SPAIN & LATIN AMERICA
The most-recorded Spanish-language song of all time is probably “La Paloma.”
Sebastian Yradier penned the song in the 1860s, following a voyage to Cuba.
His inspiration? Probably a story from the ancient world. Persian king Darius the Great invaded Greece during the 5th century BC. Darius appointed his nephew, Mardonius, general. His ship wrecked in a storm and the Greeks watched as white doves – not previously seen in Europe – escaped the sinking ship. Chances are they were homing pigeons.
The mournful lyrics of the song suggest a final message of devotion from a sailor to his beloved. It’s a lament, recorded by many famous singers from the 20th century to the present day, including:
- Elvis Presley recorded a version translated as “No More” for his 1961 movie Blue Hawaii.
- In 1963, Irish singer Brendan Bowyer went to #1 on the Irish charts with his version of the song.
- French singer Mireille Mathieu scored a hit in the early 1970s with a Francophone version titled “La Paloma, Adieu.”
- Legendary Spanish singer Julio Iglesia performed the song.
It’s been included in dozens of movies, including The Godfather Part II.
BUTTERFLY
This name is occasionally associated with butterflies. In some Spanish dialects, it’s another word for the pretty insect
There’s also a grass moth called the paloma, which might explain the connection.
PALOMA PICASSO
French jewelry designer Paloma Picasso might be the most famous bearer of the name.
The arts are in her blood. Pablo Picasso and Françoise Gilot welcomed their daughter in 1949.
Her name was no accident. At the time of her birth, the World Peace Congress adopted Picasso’s image of a dove, La Colombe, as their symbol.
Pablo’s father – also a painter and professor of art – kept the birds and had taught him to draw doves.
Technically, she was born Anne-Paloma, perhaps to satisfy religious or bureaucratic requirements for a French first name. However, she was always called Paloma.
As a child, she appeared in several of her father’s paintings. She’s designed a collection for Tiffany & Co., as well as lent her name to perfume.
HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME PALOMA?
Paloma debuted in the US popularity data way back in 1921, long before the artists embraced it as their baby’s name.
But it wouldn’t rank in the Top 1000 most popular baby names in the US until 1993.
As of 2025, the name shot up to #793.
British singer Paris Paloma might get some credit for the name’s rise. There’s a similar lift in the England & Wales data following the English folk pop artist’s breakthrough single “Labour.”
PALOMA ON THE RISE
An effortless English-Spanish crossover, the nature name meaning fits nicely with current trends, too.
Use it in full, or shorten it to Lola. Either way, this is a wearable choice that crosses language barriers, offers rich symbolism and meaning, and feels like a sister for Sofia or an alternative to Amelia.
What do you think of the baby name Paloma?
First published on October 5, 2011, this post was revised on September 21, 2019 and September 14, 2026.
My husband’s name is Malcolm, and I think the “dove” connection would be so lovely. He’s unconvinced this is a plausible choice for our daughter, so I am sending him your post (internet affirmation goes far with him!) What do you think of Plum as a nickname?
Oh, I very much like Plum for Paloma! The sounds are there … but then, I’m fine with stretching things. Let me ask on FB, too.
Nothing but Paloma love here. I adore this name. It has all the things I love about Pamela but you can’t shorten it to Pam (which for some reason is a nickname I don’t like).
I liked this name even more after meeting a woman at a party with this name. She was lovely and gracious and a bit artistic. I hope I hear it more in the future. My husband doesn’t like it because he’s biased against all names that sound “strange” to him, so sadly it won’t be one that we use . . .
I love Paloma. There’s a really lovely song called Paloma by Carbon Leaf, too.
I think Paloma is a lovely name with a great meaning and nicknames, but I don’t exactly have the heritage so it’d be middle name rather than a first. Oh! I just remembered, I know a little Paloma with a twin called Clio. 🙂
Paloma and Clio? Oh, how fantastic! Though my favorite Clio twinset is still Jane Roper’s Elsa and Clio. If Clio had a twin sister, she would’ve been Romy.
Paloma is a lovely, gentle, graceful name, and one I would have loved to use. Unfortunately, I imagine Paloma as having glossy dark hair, and although my partner is Latin, he is blonde and so am I. I fell in love with Paloma when I watched Pedro Almod
The first time I ever heard this name was on an episode of “Seinfeld,” when Elaine takes Uncle Leo to see a doctor and when he asks who she is, she makes up the story that she’s a nurse named…Paloma. The way she said it in the show made me think it was strange and kind of a “made-up” name, but it’s gradually started to grow on me.
I didn’t like it at first but I think it’s growing on me. Do you think Polly would be a cute nickname for Paloma or would the bird thing just be too much then?
I think Polly works well for Paloma. Lolly, too – though Lolly strikes me as more of a nursery name, and less of a name you’d use into the teenage years.
The first time I heard the name was Emilio Estevez’s daughter.
Paloma is a lovely. I have a “thing” for all of the dove names: Paloma, Columba, Jonah, Jemima and Dove. I just adore the subtly of the symbol of a dove, it’s religious, but it’s not in your face.
It’s funny how doves get all the love and pigeons are so reviled.
EMILIO ESTEVEZ HAS KIDS?! Paloma Rae is great.
Paloma, as many have already said, is a delightfully pretty name – I just struggle to say it (or maybe that’s just because a cold has ravaged my throat?), which means I’m unlikely to use it. The name also reminds me of the slang word pal, which means friend, or palling around, which means hanging loose with one’s homies.
Paloma’s lovely, and I think the nickname Loma might appeal to lovers of Willa, Nola, Ella, Luna etc …