| Paloma | Esperanza | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | dove | hope |
| Origin | spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | pah-LO-mah | es-peh-RAHN-sah |
| Syllables | 3 | 4 |
| First appeared | 1921 | 1903 |
| Peak year | 2009 (411) | 2000 (499) |
| In 2025 | 343 | 188 |
| Trend | Steady | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Paloma | Esperanza |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,741 | 1,454 |
| 2010s | 3,230 | 2,690 |
| 2000s | 3,065 | 3,814 |
| 1990s | 1,877 | 2,359 |
| 1980s | 699 | 1,302 |
| 1970s | 131 | 1,317 |
| 1960s | 5 | 1,232 |
| 1950s | 0 | 1,500 |
| 1940s | 0 | 1,602 |
| 1930s | 0 | 1,385 |
| 1920s | 17 | 1,695 |
| 1910s | 0 | 454 |
| 1900s | 0 | 45 |
The Spanish word for 'dove', from the Latin palumbes 'wood pigeon, dove'. It carries a Marian and Christian resonance (the dove as a symbol of the Holy Spirit and of peace) and appears in the title Virgen de la Paloma.
The Spanish word for 'hope', from the Latin sperantia (from sperare 'to hope'). One of the three theological virtues and a Marian title, Nuestra Señora de la Esperanza (Our Lady of Hope).
Paloma is more popular than Esperanza today: about 343 US babies were given the name Paloma in 2025, compared with 188 named Esperanza.
Paloma means dove (spanish origin), while Esperanza means hope (spanish origin).
In US records, Paloma first appears in 1921 and Esperanza in 1903, so Esperanza has the longer recorded history.