| Paloma | Reina | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | dove | queen |
| Origin | spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | pah-LO-mah | RAY-nah |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1921 | 0 |
| Peak year | 2009 (411) | 2024 (551) |
| In 2025 | 343 | 0 |
| Trend | Steady | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Paloma | Reina |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,741 | 2,973 |
| 2010s | 3,230 | 3,232 |
| 2000s | 3,065 | 2,721 |
| 1990s | 1,877 | 2,002 |
| 1980s | 699 | 1,326 |
| 1970s | 131 | 790 |
| 1960s | 5 | 412 |
| 1950s | 0 | 232 |
| 1940s | 0 | 126 |
| 1930s | 0 | 122 |
| 1920s | 17 | 97 |
| 1910s | 0 | 31 |
| 1890s | 0 | 16 |
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 'reina' means 'queen', descending from Latin 'regina'. Also spelled Reyna. (A separate Hebrew/Yiddish name Reina meaning 'pure' exists; the Spanish 'queen' sense is the relevant one here.)
Paloma is more popular than Reina today: about 343 US babies were given the name Paloma in 2025, compared with 0 named Reina.
Paloma means dove (spanish origin), while Reina means queen (spanish origin).
In US records, Paloma first appears in 1921 and Reina in 0, so Reina has the longer recorded history.