Paola
Paola was the 1260th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 178 babies. Its best year was 1999, when it ranked 301st; the most babies were born in 2006 (1,089). Over the last ten years it has moved down 522 places. More babies were named Paola in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning feminine of Paul; "small" · Italian, Latin
Say it POW-luh /ˈpaʊlə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,260 girls, down 304 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 178girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20061,089 babies
- Total since 1880
- 24,644babies recorded
What does the name Paola mean?
Paola is the Italian form of Paula, the feminine of Paul, from Latin paulus, "small, little", a Roman family name made famous by the apostle Paul. DMNES lists a 1st-century Roman empress and a 5th-century saint named Paula. Paola is also common in Spanish-speaking countries; in the US it was most popular around 2000.
paulus (Latin, “small, little”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Paula, Paulina, Pauline, Paolo.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Paola', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Paula', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Paola', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Paola popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 148 since 1984.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,260 | 178 |
| 2020 | #956 | 268 |
| 2010 | #454 | 680 |
| 2000 | #320 | 991 |
| 1990 | #665 | 326 |
| 1980 | #1,469 | 83 |
| 1970 | #2,227 | 36 |
| 1960 | #3,862 | 12 |
| 1950 | #5,900 | 5 |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Paola, counting every spelling?
Paola has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,198 for girls in 2025, against #1,260 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Paola?
178 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Paola (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Paola born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 47 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Paola.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Paola?
About 24,100 people born in the US named Paola are alive today, with a median age of 23; half are between 17 and 30. That makes Paola mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Paola by state
How common Paola was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Florida (2.5×), Texas (2.4×), California (1.9×), Arizona (1.9×). In 34 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Paola: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Paola, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Paola · Sibling names for Paola
Questions about the name Paola
What does Paola mean?
Paola means “feminine of Paul; "small"” (Italian, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Paola?
Paola was the 1260th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 178 babies. Its best year was 1999, when it ranked 301st; the most babies were born in 2006 (1,089). Over the last ten years it has moved down 522 places. More babies were named Paola in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Paola a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Paola in the US.
Where is Paola most popular?
In 2021–2025, Paola was most common in Florida (0.36 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and California.