Paula

Did you know?

A few things about Paula you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Paula

Paula Abdul

American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality

Choose Paula and your child shares a first name with Paula Abdul, an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Paula, like who?” Paula Abdul's Wikipedia article is available in 64 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Paula Abdul on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Super Festivals from Ft. Lauderdale, USA, CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 5,053 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Paula, 318 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Paula would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryPaula has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Paulas, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1954, when it ranked #38. Today it's #853, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendPaula has slipped 31 places over the last five years and now sits at #853. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedPaula is most popular in Texas, where it ranks #431, followed by Connecticut (#459) and Arizona (#546). It's in the top 1,000 in 11 states.
• 💬MeaningIn Latin, Paula means “small”.

About the name Paula

Paula is a girl name of Latin origin meaning “small”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with P and ending in “-ula”. US birth records list Paula for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1954, when it ranked #38 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #853, with 318 babies.

Origin:Latin names