Paula
Girl · PAW-la · Latin
Paula is a girls' name of Latin origin, meaning “small, humble”. In 2025 it ranked 1,642nd for girls in the UK (19 babies) and 853rd for girls in the US (318 babies).
What does Paula mean?
Latin: feminine of Paul
“small, humble”
Saint Paula was a 4th-century Roman widow who helped Saint Jerome with his Latin translation of the Bible.
- Say it
- PAW-la
More on Wiktionary.
Is Paula a girl's or a boy's name?
Paula is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 19 girls in the UK and 318 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.
How popular is Paula in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #1,642among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 19about 1 in 15,000 girls
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 57% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 19 girls in the UK were named Paula, making it the 1,642nd most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,286th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 78 girls.
Half of all the girls named Paula in the UK since 1996 were born between 2001 and 2016. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Among girls in 2025, it was 1,584th in England and Wales.
In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1964 (#33) and 1974 (#42).
Paula in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 19 | #1,642 |
| 2024 | 24 | #1,397 |
| 2023 | 11 | #2,481 |
| 2022 | 18 | #1,730 |
| 2021 | 43 | #890 |
| 2020 | 27 | #1,286 |
| 2019 | 44 | #893 |
| 2018 | 55 | #774 |
| 2017 | 51 | #831 |
| 2016 | 46 | #881 |
| 2015 | 43 | #915 |
| 2014 | 56 | #754 |
| 2013 | 43 | #930 |
| 2012 | 45 | #902 |
| 2011 | 48 | #826 |
| 2010 | 34 | #1,055 |
| 2009 | 35 | #996 |
| 2008 | 35 | #978 |
| 2007 | 47 | #768 |
| 2006 | 35 | #915 |
| 2005 | 33 | #900 |
| 2004 | 37 | #814 |
| 2003 | 38 | #766 |
| 2002 | 29 | #884 |
| 2001 | 43 | #658 |
| 2000 | 42 | #665 |
| 1999 | 41 | #671 |
| 1998 | 63 | #511 |
| 1997 | 67 | #486 |
| 1996 | 78 | #434 |
How popular is Paula in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #853among girls
- Babies in 2025
- 318about 1 in 5,100 girls
- Five-year trend
- Steadyup 4% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 girls
In 2025, 318 girls in the US were named Paula, making it the 853rd most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 822nd. Its busiest year was 1963, with 10,156 girls.
2025 had fewer girls named Paula than any year since 2015.
Half of all the girls named Paula in the US since 1880 were born between 1952 and 1968, the years shaded on the chart below.
Paula in the US, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 318 | #853 |
| 2024 | 375 | #752 |
| 2023 | 402 | #706 |
| 2022 | 349 | #806 |
| 2021 | 338 | #822 |
| 2020 | 331 | #822 |
| 2019 | 373 | #753 |
| 2018 | 344 | #793 |
| 2017 | 319 | #856 |
| 2016 | 348 | #826 |
| 2015 | 310 | #889 |
| 2014 | 267 | #993 |
| 2013 | 307 | #847 |
| 2012 | 385 | #721 |
| 2011 | 325 | #817 |
| 2010 | 332 | #814 |
| 2009 | 362 | #781 |
| 2008 | 448 | #678 |
| 2007 | 455 | #651 |
| 2006 | 431 | #667 |
| 2005 | 416 | #667 |
| 2004 | 419 | #651 |
| 2003 | 356 | #719 |
| 2002 | 416 | #615 |
| 2001 | 420 | #600 |
| 2000 | 454 | #572 |
| 1999 | 446 | #564 |
| 1998 | 457 | #545 |
| 1997 | 504 | #489 |
| 1996 | 552 | #454 |
| 1995 | 553 | #458 |
| 1994 | 623 | #402 |
| 1993 | 630 | #400 |
| 1992 | 776 | #338 |
| 1991 | 849 | #320 |
| 1990 | 940 | #296 |
| 1989 | 794 | #320 |
| 1988 | 812 | #304 |
| 1987 | 903 | #272 |
| 1986 | 881 | #279 |
| 1985 | 1,015 | #249 |
| 1984 | 1,102 | #230 |
| 1983 | 1,159 | #220 |
| 1982 | 1,328 | #204 |
| 1981 | 1,480 | #186 |
| 1980 | 1,598 | #173 |
| 1979 | 1,694 | #165 |
| 1978 | 1,827 | #150 |
| 1977 | 2,043 | #144 |
| 1976 | 2,250 | #121 |
| 1975 | 2,651 | #108 |
| 1974 | 3,061 | #96 |
| 1973 | 3,504 | #87 |
| 1972 | 4,260 | #72 |
| 1971 | 5,379 | #63 |
| 1970 | 6,055 | #57 |
| 1969 | 6,753 | #50 |
| 1968 | 7,637 | #45 |
| 1967 | 7,694 | #46 |
| 1966 | 7,856 | #50 |
| 1965 | 7,915 | #49 |
| 1964 | 9,498 | #45 |
| 1963 | 10,156 | #42 |
| 1962 | 7,193 | #60 |
| 1961 | 7,744 | #60 |
| 1960 | 8,066 | #55 |
| 1959 | 8,059 | #51 |
| 1958 | 8,025 | #53 |
| 1957 | 8,544 | #49 |
| 1956 | 8,925 | #47 |
| 1955 | 9,585 | #39 |
| 1954 | 9,686 | #38 |
| 1953 | 9,557 | #40 |
| 1952 | 8,567 | #47 |
| 1951 | 7,290 | #51 |
| 1950 | 6,631 | #54 |
| 1949 | 6,577 | #55 |
| 1948 | 6,600 | #52 |
| 1947 | 6,102 | #54 |
| 1946 | 4,724 | #69 |
| 1945 | 3,798 | #67 |
| 1944 | 3,315 | #82 |
| 1943 | 3,042 | #93 |
| 1942 | 1,974 | #136 |
| 1941 | 1,540 | #151 |
| 1940 | 1,372 | #155 |
| 1939 | 1,348 | #159 |
| 1938 | 1,318 | #163 |
| 1937 | 1,212 | #165 |
| 1936 | 982 | #185 |
| 1935 | 774 | #220 |
| 1934 | 759 | #228 |
| 1933 | 611 | #245 |
| 1932 | 658 | #238 |
| 1931 | 585 | #250 |
| 1930 | 614 | #251 |
| 1929 | 619 | #254 |
| 1928 | 558 | #276 |
| 1927 | 602 | #271 |
| 1926 | 541 | #286 |
| 1925 | 464 | #307 |
| 1924 | 418 | #329 |
| 1923 | 378 | #337 |
| 1922 | 305 | #373 |
| 1921 | 326 | #373 |
| 1920 | 343 | #354 |
| 1919 | 245 | #414 |
| 1918 | 265 | #401 |
| 1917 | 303 | #359 |
| 1916 | 289 | #361 |
| 1915 | 228 | #398 |
| 1914 | 184 | #390 |
| 1913 | 150 | #396 |
| 1912 | 164 | #357 |
| 1911 | 105 | #392 |
| 1910 | 89 | #417 |
| 1909 | 76 | #421 |
| 1908 | 83 | #399 |
| 1907 | 76 | #408 |
| 1906 | 89 | #349 |
| 1905 | 68 | #409 |
| 1904 | 79 | #371 |
| 1903 | 57 | #419 |
| 1902 | 41 | #490 |
| 1901 | 50 | #425 |
| 1900 | 47 | #494 |
| 1899 | 40 | #461 |
| 1898 | 55 | #415 |
| 1897 | 45 | #438 |
| 1896 | 47 | #420 |
| 1895 | 37 | #480 |
| 1894 | 34 | #487 |
| 1893 | 47 | #391 |
| 1892 | 40 | #419 |
| 1891 | 44 | #377 |
| 1890 | 35 | #429 |
| 1889 | 33 | #421 |
| 1888 | 27 | #476 |
| 1887 | 26 | #435 |
| 1886 | 21 | #476 |
| 1885 | 16 | #542 |
| 1884 | 12 | #614 |
| 1883 | 19 | #435 |
| 1882 | 6 | #813 |
| 1881 | 9 | #582 |
| 1880 | 9 | #580 |
Names like Paula
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Laura Rosa Maria Victoria Sara Palma Anna Priscilla Francesca Alma Diana Lisa
Names related to Paula
More Latin names
Oliver Olivia Leo Roman Aurora Emily Florence Mabel Luna Nora Rosie Emilia Max Nova Lucy Julian