Paisley is a distinctive choice, ranked #234 in 2024. Your child is likely to be the only Paisley in their class.
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UK Rank 2024
#234
US Rank #61
About the Name Paisley
Paisley has seen a notable decline in recent years, dropping 88 places in five years. It was most popular in 2020 at #146 — parents choosing it today are making a deliberately counter-trend decision. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996.
Paisley is distinctive enough that your child will likely be the only one in both their class and their school — standing out on every register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #61, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name Paisley
Unlikely. With around 205 UK babies named Paisley per year, your child will almost certainly be the only Paisley in his class, and possibly the only one in the whole school.
Paisley has been declining in UK popularity, dropping 88 places in the last five years. Its peak was #146 in 2020. Choosing it now means he is likely to be among the last of his generation with this name.
Paisley is more popular in the US (#61) than in the UK (#234). Names with strong rankings in both countries tend to have broad cross-cultural appeal, working well for international families or those with ties to both nations.
Paisley ranks #61 in the US (2024), making it comfortably inside the American top 100. It's well-liked on both sides of the Atlantic.
205
UK babies named Paisley (2024)
< 1
Expected classmates with this name (class of 28)
~0.1
In a school of 600
↓ 88 places
Rank change (last 5 years)
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name Paisley
Likely around 1 other Paisley in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2024)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2024)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to Paisley
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
Fiona Kerr Paisley is a Scottish-born Australian cultural historian at Griffith University. Her research and writing focuses on Australian Indigenous, feminist and transnational history.
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, was a loyalist politician and Protestant religious leader from Northern Ireland who served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 1971 to 2008 and First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2007 to 2008. Paisley became a Protestant evangelical minister in 1946 and remained one for the rest of his life.