Paulina
Paulina was the 784th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 346 babies. Its best year was 2002, when it ranked 366th with 822 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 96 places. More babies were named Paulina in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning small (from Paulinus, Paul) · Latin
Say it paw-LEE-nuh /pɔˈlinə/
- Rank in 2025
- #784 girls, up 50 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 346girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2002822 babies
- Total since 1880
- 20,142babies recorded
What does the name Paulina mean?
Paulina is from Latin Paulina, the feminine of Paulinus, a name derived from Paulus and the adjective paulus, small, according to Wiktionary; DMNES gives the same meaning for Paul. Wiktionary notes a third-century saint of the name. Wiktionary records it in Spanish, Polish, German, Swedish and Faroese. DMNES notes that the apostle Paul and many early saints bore the masculine name. Paulina has been used in the US since 1880.
Paulīna (Latin, “feminine of Paulinus”)paulus (Latin, “small”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Pauline, Paula, Paul, Polina.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Paulina' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Paul', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Nicknames for Paulina
The usual nicknames for Paulina are Pau.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pau | Modern | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Paulinas go by each one.
Paulina popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 5 since 1999.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #784 | 346 |
| 2020 | #834 | 329 |
| 2010 | #722 | 390 |
| 2000 | #477 | 574 |
| 1990 | #569 | 409 |
| 1980 | #2,037 | 52 |
| 1970 | #1,819 | 49 |
| 1960 | #2,417 | 25 |
| 1950 | #1,900 | 26 |
| 1940 | #1,629 | 24 |
| 1930 | #1,313 | 34 |
| 1920 | #1,343 | 35 |
| 1910 | #1,498 | 11 |
| 1900 | #1,297 | 10 |
| 1890 | #1,079 | 8 |
| 1880 | #571 | 10 |
How popular is Paulina, counting every spelling?
Paulina has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #789 for girls in 2025, against #784 on the official list, because Kaylin/Kaylynn/Kailyn and Jayleen/Jaylene/Jaelynn and Carly/Karlee/Carlee move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Paulina?
346 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Paulina (0.10 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Paulina 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 24 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Paulina.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Paulina?
About 18,500 people born in the US named Paulina are alive today, with a median age of 23; half are between 15 and 31. That makes Paulina 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.
Paulina by state
How common Paulina was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (2.6×), Texas (2.5×), California (2.1×), Florida (1.9×). In 27 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 Paulina: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Paulina, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Paulina · Sibling names for Paulina
Questions about the name Paulina
What does Paulina mean?
Paulina means “small (from Paulinus, Paul)” (Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Paulina?
Paulina was the 784th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 346 babies. Its best year was 2002, when it ranked 366th with 822 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved up 96 places. More babies were named Paulina in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Paulina a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Paulina in the US.
Where is Paulina most popular?
In 2021–2025, Paulina was most common in New Mexico (0.62 per 1,000 girls), followed by Arizona and Texas.