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Catalan Names: Europe's Secret Treasure

Paula

The name Paula peaked for boys at #1529 in 1958. Paula is also used for girls, ranking #855 in 2025.

The name Paula is a girl's name of Portuguese origin meaning "small".

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Portuguese Names that Start With P

Paula still seems somewhat stuck in the era of duo Paul and Paula bopping out the song "Hey, Paula." Two pronunciations are possible—the English "PAW-la" and the Portuguese "POW-la."
 Modern bearers of the name include singer-songwriter Paula Abdul and comedian Paula Poundstone, as well as a character on My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Paula is still a common choice in Puerto Rico.
 With the trend toward boyish nicknames for girls, we can't help but wonder whether there will be a new generation of little girls names Paulie or Pauley, both fresher than Paula.

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The name Paula is currently ranked #855 in U.S. births. and peaked for girls at #38 in 1954. The name is most popular in PAULA, PAULA, and PAULA. Paula is occasionally used for boys in 2023.

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Year	US rank	Births	Per million
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