The first name Paulina
A girl’s name from Latin meaning “small”.
3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Latin origin
Paulina means “small” in Latin.
From Latin Paulīna, feminine form of Paulīnus, derivative of Paulus, from paulus (“small”). Name of a third-century saint.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 6 girls were named Paulina, making it the 3,705th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2009, with 63 births (#601).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Paulina with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Paulina at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 346 girls born in the United States were named Paulina, the 784th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 2002, when 822 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.
Famous people named Paulina
14 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Paulina ChávezAmerican actress, born 2002
- Paulina VegaColombian beauty pageant titleholder, born 1993
- Anna Paulina LunaAmerican politician and veteran (born 1989)
- Paulina GarcíaChilean actress (born 1960)
- Paulina Wright DavisAmerican activist (1813-1876)
- Paulina JamesAmerican pornographic actress, born 1986
- Paulina IrbyBritish travel writer and suffragist (1831–1911)
- Paulina GálvezChilean-Spanish-American actress, born 1969
- María Paulina PérezColombian tennis player, born 1996
- Paulina SingerAmerican actress, born 1991
- Paulina KrumbiegelGerman association football player, born 2000
- Eliot SumnerBritish musician, born 1990
More Latin girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Paulina mean?
- Paulina means “small” in Latin.
- What is the origin of the name Paulina?
- From Latin Paulīna, feminine form of Paulīnus, derivative of Paulus, from paulus (“small”). Name of a third-century saint.
- How popular is the name Paulina?
- In 2025, 6 girls born in England and Wales were named Paulina, ranking 3,705th. Its peak was 2009, with 63 births.
- Is Paulina a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 20,142 US babies named Paulina since 1880 were girls.
- When was Paulina most popular?
- 2002 in the United States, when 822 babies were named Paulina, its highest rank at 366th.