Paulette

Did you know?

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

⭐ Famous Paulette

Paulette Goddard

American actress (1910–1990)

Choose Paulette and your child shares a first name with Paulette Goddard, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Paulette, like who?” Paulette Goddard's Wikipedia article is available in 68 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Paulette Goddard on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: New York Daily News Color Studio, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 11,641 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Paulette, 138 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Paulette would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryPaulette first shows up in US birth records in 1907, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 118 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1946, when it ranked #117. Today it's #1,534, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowPaulette is 3.5× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 41,322 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 11,641.
• 🚀TrendPaulette has climbed 120 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,534. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedPaulette is most popular in Arizona, where it ranks #416, followed by Texas (#878) and Colorado (#907). It's in the top 1,000 in 3 states.
• 💬MeaningPaulette is a French form of Paula, which means “small”. Our records link it to French and Latin roots.

About the name Paulette

Paulette is a girl name of French and Latin origin meaning “small”. It has 8 letters and 2 syllables, starting with P and ending in “-tte”. US birth records list Paulette for girls from 1907 to 2025, in 114 of those 119 years. Its best year was 1946, when it ranked #117 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,534, with 138 babies.

Origin:French namesLatin names