girl's name
Paula
PAW-luh (English)
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 299,186
the United States
#853
2025 births
Paula is a girl's name from the Latin for small or humble, the feminine of Paul. It is stable, and its strongest market is France at 340th rather than any English-speaking country.
- Paula is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 1963, when 10,183 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 10,426 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Paula Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 178 |
| 1890s | 424 |
| 1900s | 666 |
| 1910s | 2,027 |
| 1920s | 4,564 |
| 1930s | 8,907 |
| 1940s | 39,152 |
| 1950s | 85,028 |
| 1960s | 80,701 |
| 1970s | 32,867 |
| 1980s | 11,195 |
| 1990s | 6,386 |
| 2000s | 4,220 |
| 2010s | 3,324 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,130 |
What Paula Means
Paula means small, or humble. The Latin adjective describes physical smallness, and the apostle appears to have taken it as a deliberate statement about himself.
Where Paula Comes From
Paula is the feminine of the Latin Paulus, small. The apostle was born Saul and took Paul after his conversion — a Roman cognomen he was entitled to as a citizen, but one whose meaning suited a man who called himself the least of the apostles. Saint Paula of Rome, a wealthy widow who left her position to found monasteries in Bethlehem and funded Jerome's translation of the Bible into Latin, is the feminine's central bearer: the Vulgate that Western Europe read for a thousand years exists partly because she paid for it.
Paula in Use
Paula peaked in the United States in 1963, when 10,183 babies were registered, and it is stable rather than falling. Its strongest market is France at 340th on 160 births, ahead of 424th in Northern Ireland, 749th in Ireland, 853rd in the United States on 318 and 1,598th in England and Wales, across 299,186 lifetime births in six markets.
How Popular Is Paula?
In 2025, Paula was given to 318 babies in the United States, ranking #853 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Paula Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Paula
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Paula Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Paula over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Paula
- English PAW-luh /ˈpɔː.lə/
1 nickname for Paula
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Paula in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Paula
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Paula — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Paula
What does the name Paula mean?
Small or humble, from the Latin paulus — the feminine of Paul.
Who was Saint Paula?
A wealthy Roman widow who founded monasteries in Bethlehem and funded Jerome's Latin translation of the Bible.
Is Paula the same as Pauline?
Both are feminines of Paul — Paula the Latin form and Pauline the French.
How popular is Paula?
340th in France, its strongest market, and 853rd in the United States.
Is Paula a girl's or a boy's name?
Paula is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Paula?
Paula has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Paula?
Paula is usually shortened to Paulie.
Is Paula a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Paula currently ranks #340 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.