girl's name
Paulette
paw-LET
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 8
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 260,491
Ireland
#461
1979 births
Paulette is a girl's name meaning small or humble, a French diminutive of Paul — so it is a diminutive of a name that already means little. Our data marks it reviving, and the revival is American rather than French.
- Paulette is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1921, when 8,125 babies were given the name.
- After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival in France.
- Today about 1 in 117,911 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Paulette over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 7,600 |
| 1910s | 31,935 |
| 1920s | 76,815 |
| 1930s | 57,815 |
| 1940s | 26,695 |
| 1950s | 9,845 |
| 1960s | 2,075 |
| 1970s | 315 |
| 1980s | 85 |
| 1990s | 25 |
| 2000s | 15 |
| 2010s | 30 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 30 |
What Paulette means
Paulette means little small one, in effect. Paul means small in Latin, and the French -ette ending is itself a diminutive, so the name doubles the sense.
Where Paulette comes from
Paulette is the French feminine diminutive of Paul, from the Latin paulus, small — with the -ette ending that also gives Juliette, Antoinette and Colette. Because the root already means small, the name is a diminutive of a diminutive, which is unusual and slightly comic when spelled out. The apostle was born Saul and took Paul after his conversion, a cognomen he was entitled to as a Roman citizen and whose meaning suited a man who called himself the least of the apostles. Paulette Goddard, the actress, carried it through the 1930s and 40s.
Paulette in use
Paulette peaked in France in 1921, when 8,125 babies were registered, and our data marks it reviving. It now ranks 1539th in the United States on 138 births and 7200th in France on 5, across 260,491 lifetime births in two of the seven markets we track. As with Yvette, the revival is happening outside the country that holds nearly all of its history.
How popular is Paulette?
In 2025, Paulette was given to 5 babies in France. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Paulette is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Paulette
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Paulette also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Paulette over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Paulette
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.
Paulette 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 Paulette
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Paulette — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Paulette
What does the name Paulette mean?
Small — and doubly so, since Paul already means small and -ette is a diminutive ending.
Is Paulette a French name?
Yes, a French diminutive of Paul, though its revival is currently American.
Is Paulette coming back?
Our data marks it reviving, at 1539th in the United States.
Is Paulette related to Paula?
Yes — both are feminines of Paul, Paula the Latin form and Paulette the French diminutive.
How popular is the name Paulette?
In 2025, Paulette was given to 5 babies in France. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Is Paulette a girl's or a boy's name?
Paulette is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Paulette?
Paulette has 2 syllables.
When was Paulette most popular?
Paulette peaked in 1921, when 8,125 babies were given the name. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival.
What are the nicknames for Paulette?
Paulette is usually shortened to Lettie.
Is Paulette a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Paulette currently ranks #1,539 in France. After peaking in the 1920s it fell out of use, and is now climbing again — a classic revival. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.