The first name Paula
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “paul”.
Pronounced /ˈpɔːlə/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Paula means “paul” in Latin.
Borrowed from Latin Paula, feminine form of Paulus (“Paul”).
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 19 girls were named Paula, making it the 1,584th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2018, with 51 births (#761).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Paula with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Paula at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 318 girls born in the United States were named Paula, the 855th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1963, when 10,156 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Paula in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Paula in Catalan, Estonian, Finnish, German, Latvian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish too.
Famous people named Paula
98 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Paula AbdulAmerican singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality, born 1962
- Paula FernandesBrazilian singer-songwriter, born 1984
- Paula Modersohn-BeckerGerman expressionist painter (1876–1907)
- Paula PattonAmerican actress (born 1975)
- Paula HawkinsBritish writer, born 1972
- Paula RadcliffeEnglish long-distance runner, born 1973
- Paula ParetoArgentinian judoka and physician, born 1986
- Paula von PreradovićAustrian writer, poet (1887-1951)
- Paula PrentissAmerican actress, born 1938
- Paula ColeAmerican singer, born 1968
- Paula BeerGerman actress, born 1995
- Paula FoxAmerican book author (1923–2017)
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Paula mean?
- Paula means “paul” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Paula?
- Borrowed from Latin Paula, feminine form of Paulus (“Paul”).
- How popular is the name Paula?
- In 2025, 19 girls born in England and Wales were named Paula, ranking 1,584th. Its peak was 2018, with 51 births.
- Is Paula a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 281,769 US babies named Paula since 1880 were girls.
- When was Paula most popular?
- 1963 in the United States, when 10,156 babies were named Paula, its highest rank at 42nd.
- How do you pronounce Paula?
- Paula is /ˈpɔːlə/, 2 syllables.
- Is Paula also a surname?
- Yes. Paula is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.