Paula
Paula was the 855th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 318 babies. Its best year was 1954, when it ranked 38th; the most babies were born in 1963 (10,156). Over the last ten years it has moved up 36 places. More babies were named Paula in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning small (feminine of Paul) · Latin
Say it PAW-luh /ˈpɔlə/
- Rank in 2025
- #855 girls, down 31 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 318girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196310,156 babies
- Total since 1880
- 281,769babies recorded
What does the name Paula mean?
Paula is the Latin feminine of Paulus, Paul, as DMNES and Wiktionary agree. DMNES explains Paul as Latin paulus, small or little. The apostle Paul made the masculine name central to Christianity, and DMNES lists Roman empresses and a 5th-century saint named Paula. In Spanish it is the feminine of Pablo. Paula has been used in the US since 1880.
paulus (Latin, “small, little”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Paul, Paulina, Pauline, Pablo, Polly.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Paula', DMNES (Durham University)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Paul', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Paula' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Paula popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 913 since 1917.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #855 | 318 |
| 2020 | #824 | 331 |
| 2010 | #815 | 332 |
| 2000 | #574 | 454 |
| 1990 | #297 | 940 |
| 1980 | #173 | 1,598 |
| 1970 | #57 | 6,055 |
| 1960 | #55 | 8,066 |
| 1950 | #54 | 6,631 |
| 1940 | #155 | 1,372 |
| 1930 | #252 | 614 |
| 1920 | #354 | 343 |
| 1910 | #419 | 89 |
| 1900 | #497 | 47 |
| 1890 | #433 | 35 |
| 1880 | #621 | 9 |
How popular is Paula, counting every spelling?
Paula has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #835 for girls in 2025, against #855 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Paula?
318 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Paula (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Paula 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 26 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Paula.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Paula?
About 220,000 people born in the US named Paula are alive today, with a median age of 64; half are between 56 and 72. That makes Paula a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Paula by state
How common Paula was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (2.7×), Texas (2.4×), Florida (2.0×), California (1.6×). In 26 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 Paula: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Paula, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Paula · Sibling names for Paula
Questions about the name Paula
What does Paula mean?
Paula means “small (feminine of Paul)” (Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Paula?
Paula was the 855th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 318 babies. Its best year was 1954, when it ranked 38th; the most babies were born in 1963 (10,156). Over the last ten years it has moved up 36 places. More babies were named Paula in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Paula a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Paula in the US.
Where is Paula most popular?
In 2021–2025, Paula was most common in Arizona (0.59 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Florida.