How Many People Are Named Paula?
people named Paula are alive in the United States today (estimate)
About 1 in 1,529 people in the US has this name
Based on 281,769 babies named Paula in Social Security records from 1880 to 2025, and the share of each birth year still alive in 2025.
Popularity Rank
⭐ Uncommon
Peak Year
10,183 births
Trend
Stable (last 10 years)
📖 Name Origin & Meaning
Meaning:
Sardinian feminine form of Paulus (see PAUL).
Source of the meaning, origin, pronunciation and related names: Behind the Name.
⚧ Gender Distribution
Almost all of the babies given the name Paula (99.7%) were girls.
👥 Age Distribution
The average person named Paula alive today is about 61 years old, and 62% are 60 or older. Half of them were between 55 and 71 in 2025.
📈 Popularity Over Time
Paula first appears in the records in 1880 and was given most often in 1963, to 10,183 babies. In 2025, 318 babies got the name.
Babies given the name each year, 1880 to 2025
🏆 Rank History
Paula never made the top 10 girls' names. Its best rank was #38, in 1954, and it was in the top 100 for 32 years, 1943 to 1974. In 2025 it ranked #855.
| Girls | |
|---|---|
| Rank in 2025 | #855 |
| Best rank | #38 (1954) |
| Years in the top 100 | 32 (1943 to 1974) |
| Rank in its biggest decade | #46 in the 1950s |
📍 State-Wise Distribution
People named Paula alive today, by the state where they were born (estimate; state records start in 1910).
More people named Paula were born in California than in any other state: about 18,718 of those alive today. Compared with the national rate in the same years, Paula was given 2 times as often in Rhode Island, 1.8 times in Massachusetts and 1.6 times in Oklahoma.
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