Pauline

Did you know?

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

⭐ Famous Pauline

Pauline Kael

American film critic (1919-2001)

Choose Pauline and your child shares a first name with Pauline Kael, an American film critic. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Pauline, like who?” Pauline Kael's Wikipedia article is available in 37 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Pauline Kael on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Rollins Maxwell, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 28,736 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Pauline, 56 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Pauline would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryPauline has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Paulines, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1915, when it ranked #32. Today it's #2,957, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowPauline was 2.3× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 12,361 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 28,736.
• 🚀TrendPauline has climbed 58 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #2,957. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 💬MeaningPauline is a French form of Paula, which means “small”. Our records link it to French and Latin roots.

About the name Pauline

Pauline is a girl name of French and Latin origin meaning “small”. It has 7 letters and 2 syllables, starting with P and ending in “-ine”. US birth records list Pauline for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1915, when it ranked #32 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #2,957, with 56 babies.

Origin:French namesLatin names