Paula

Paula: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “small, humble”
Origin: Latin
Say it: PAW-lə · 2 syllables
Used for: Girls

Feminine form of Paul, from Latin Paulus. It has long use across many European languages.

Spanish names Portuguese names English names German names Classic names Biblical names International names

How popular is Paula?

2024112 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Paula in 2024374

2024 rank#751 girls

Peak year1963

Total US babies since 1880281,450

Paula is steady now but far below its 1963 peak.

Names like Paula

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Paulsmall, humble · Latin
Pablosmall or humble · Spanish
Paulettesmall, humble · French
Paulinesmall · Latin
Paulosmall; humble · Portuguese
Camilayoung ceremonial attendant · Latin
Lunamoon · Latin
Auroradawn · Latin

Paula questions

What does the name Paula mean?

Paula means "small, humble". It comes from Latin. Feminine form of Paul, from Latin Paulus. It has long use across many European languages.

Is Paula a boy or girl name?

Paula is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Paula?

374 US babies were named Paula in 2024. Its peak year was 1963.

How do you pronounce Paula?

Paula is usually pronounced PAW-lə.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.