NameTides

Paula

Paula was the #853 girls' name in the US in 2025 (318 babies), and #1,584 in England & Wales and #1,373 in Canada.

Paula as a girl’s name

  • US
  • England & Wales
  • Scotland
  • Northern Ireland
  • Ireland
  • Canada
  • NSW
Paula as a girl’s name, US, England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Canada, NSWBabies per 1,000 in the published list, 1880–2025, for US, England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Canada. Gaps mark years with too few babies to be published.0510152018801900192019401960198020002020USIrelandCanadaEngland & Wales
Paula as a girl’s name, US, England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Canada, NSWBabies per 1,000 in the published list, 1880–2025, for US, England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Canada. Gaps mark years with too few babies to be published.051015201880192019602000
Babies per 1,000 of the same sex in each published list. New South Wales publishes its top 100 only, so it appears in the rank view and only in years the name made the top 100. Breaks in a line are years with too few babies to be published.
Show the numbers
YearUSEngland & WalesScotlandNorthern IrelandIrelandCanadaNSW
2025#853 (318)#1,584 (19)——#718 (4)#1,373 (18)—
2024#752 (375)#1,491 (21)—#407 (3)#736 (4)#1,949 (11)—
2023#706 (402)#2,504 (10)——#727 (4)#2,900 (6)—
2022#806 (349)#1,685 (17)——#747 (4)#1,635 (13)—
2021#822 (338)#957 (36)—#298 (5)—#1,592 (14)—
2020#822 (331)#1,200 (27)——#375 (10)#1,557 (14)—
2019#753 (373)#897 (40)#650 (4)—#421 (9)#1,683 (13)—
2018#793 (344)#761 (51)#680 (4)—#629 (5)#1,440 (16)—
2017#856 (319)#836 (46)—#432 (3)#524 (7)#1,454 (16)—
2016#826 (348)#881 (42)—#440 (3)#661 (5)#1,109 (23)—
2015#889 (310)#923 (39)#653 (4)—#660 (5)#1,080 (23)—
2014#993 (267)#779 (50)#802 (3)#439 (3)#876 (3)#1,229 (20)—
2013#847 (307)#944 (39)#663 (4)—#459 (9)#1,057 (24)—
2012#721 (385)#916 (40)—#383 (4)#280 (18)#966 (27)—
2011#817 (325)#858 (42)#810 (3)#444 (3)#550 (7)#1,244 (19)—

The tide so far

  • Peaked in the US in 1963 at #42.
  • Holding steady over the last five years.
  • In the US records since the data begins in 1880.

How common is it?

about 1 in 5,100 baby girls in the published US list for 2025.

In a group of 1,000 children born that year, you would expect to meet fewer than 1. How we work this out.

How common, country by country

WhereSexLatest yearShareVerdict
USGirls2025about 1 in 5,100uncommon
England & WalesGirls2025about 1 in 13,000rare
IrelandGirls2025about 1 in 5,300uncommon
CanadaGirls2025about 1 in 8,300uncommon

Next year

On its recent trend, Paula is likely to keep rising in the US in 2026: about 1 in 4,600 baby girls. Likely range 1 in 3,700 to 1 in 5,700.

Estimate, not an official figure. How we estimate.

Across the US

Paula by state, 2025Alaska: fewer than 5 babiesAKMaine: fewer than 5 babiesMEWisconsin: fewer than 5 babiesWIVermont: fewer than 5 babiesVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 babiesNHWashington: fewer than 5 babiesWAIdaho: fewer than 5 babiesIDMontana: fewer than 5 babiesMTNorth Dakota: fewer than 5 babiesNDMinnesota: fewer than 5 babiesMNIllinois: #927ILMichigan: fewer than 5 babiesMINew York: #980NYMassachusetts: fewer than 5 babiesMAOregon: fewer than 5 babiesORNevada: fewer than 5 babiesNVWyoming: fewer than 5 babiesWYSouth Dakota: fewer than 5 babiesSDIowa: fewer than 5 babiesIAIndiana: #1,032INOhio: fewer than 5 babiesOHPennsylvania: fewer than 5 babiesPANew Jersey: #618NJConnecticut: #459CTRhode Island: fewer than 5 babiesRICalifornia: #662CAUtah: fewer than 5 babiesUTColorado: #789CONebraska: fewer than 5 babiesNEMissouri: fewer than 5 babiesMOKentucky: fewer than 5 babiesKYWest Virginia: fewer than 5 babiesWVVirginia: #1,180VAMaryland: fewer than 5 babiesMDDelaware: fewer than 5 babiesDEArizona: #546AZNew Mexico: fewer than 5 babiesNMKansas: fewer than 5 babiesKSArkansas: fewer than 5 babiesARTennessee: fewer than 5 babiesTNNorth Carolina: #729NCSouth Carolina: fewer than 5 babiesSCDistrict of Columbia: fewer than 5 babiesDCOklahoma: fewer than 5 babiesOKLouisiana: fewer than 5 babiesLAMississippi: fewer than 5 babiesMSAlabama: fewer than 5 babiesALGeorgia: #710GAHawaii: fewer than 5 babiesHITexas: #431TXFlorida: #583FL
Paula (girls) rank in each state, 2025. Hatched states recorded fewer than 5 babies.
  • #1–10
  • #11–50
  • #51–100
  • #101–500
  • below #500

Spellings

Official statistics count each spelling separately, so we show them side by side rather than adding them up.

SpellingWhereSexLatest rankBabies
PaulaCanadaGirls#1,37318
PaulaEngland & WalesGirls#1,58419
PaulaIrelandGirls#7184
PaulaNorthern IrelandGirls—too few
PaulaNSWGirls—too few
PaulaScotlandGirls—too few
PaulaUSGirls#853318
PaulaUSBoys—too few