Pauline
Pauline was the 2986th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 56 babies. Its best year was 1915, when it ranked 32nd; the most babies were born in 1918 (7,222). Over the last ten years it has moved down 615 places. More babies were named Pauline in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning feminine of Paul, 'small' · French, Latin
Say it paw-LEEN /pɔˈlin/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,986 girls, up 69 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 56girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19187,222 babies
- Total since 1880
- 227,179babies recorded
What does the name Pauline mean?
Pauline is the French form of Latin Paulina, the feminine of Paulinus, from Paulus 'small, humble', as Wiktionary notes; it has been in regular English use since the 19th century. Paul is the name of the apostle. Pauline Bonaparte, Napoleon's sister, made the French form well known. It was common in the US in the 1910s and 1920s.
paulus (Latin, “small, humble”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Paula, Paulina, Paul, Polly.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Pauline', 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)
Nicknames for Pauline
The usual nicknames for Pauline are Polly. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Pauline in the last five years, 134 were named Polly, against 23 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polly · also for Mary | Traditional | #2,318 | 363 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Paulines go by each one.
Pauline popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 775 since 1893.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,986 | 56 |
| 2020 | #3,055 | 53 |
| 2010 | #3,111 | 54 |
| 2000 | #1,303 | 147 |
| 1990 | #756 | 275 |
| 1980 | #630 | 290 |
| 1970 | #378 | 633 |
| 1960 | #268 | 1,113 |
| 1950 | #163 | 1,739 |
| 1940 | #104 | 2,409 |
| 1930 | #52 | 4,655 |
| 1920 | #36 | 7,180 |
| 1910 | #42 | 2,153 |
| 1900 | #71 | 1,104 |
| 1890 | #90 | 475 |
| 1880 | #115 | 144 |
How popular is Pauline, counting every spelling?
Pauline has no other common spelling that sounds the same.
How many kids will share the name Pauline?
56 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Pauline (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Pauline 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 150 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Pauline.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Pauline?
About 49,200 people born in the US named Pauline are alive today, with a median age of 73; half are between 60 and 82. That makes Pauline 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.
Pauline by state
How common Pauline was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 45 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 Pauline: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Pauline, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Pauline · Sibling names for Pauline
Questions about the name Pauline
What does Pauline mean?
Pauline means “feminine of Paul, 'small'” (French, Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Pauline?
Pauline was the 2986th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 56 babies. Its best year was 1915, when it ranked 32nd; the most babies were born in 1918 (7,222). Over the last ten years it has moved down 615 places. More babies were named Pauline in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Pauline a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Pauline in the US.
Where is Pauline most popular?
In 2021–2025, Pauline was most common in California (0.04 per 1,000 girls), followed by Washington and New York.