Best Rare Names from 100 Years Ago

Extinct Names That Are Never Ever Coming Back

Belgian Names: Beyond Flemish and French

The Weirdest Names Ever

A Girl After Four Boys

Pauline

The name Pauline peaked for boys at #903 in 1905. Pauline is occasionally used for girls in 2025.

The name Pauline is a girl's name of French origin meaning "small".

French Names

French Names for Girls

7 Letter Girl Names

Names Ending in E for Girls

Names That Mean Small

Names That Mean Variation

Names That Mean Feminine

Two Syllable Names for Girls

Names that Peaked in 1915

Girl Dog Names That Start With P

Dog Names That Start With P

French Names that Start With P

Pauline had its moment of glory a century ago, when movie audiences were thrilling to the silent serial The Perils of Pauline, released in 1914. A Top 50 name in the US between 1908 and 1930, it fell off the charts in the 1990s — but with the interest in Marjorie, Josephine, Polly, and Jacqueline, could Pauline be ready for revival?
 
While Pauline is a French femininization of the classic Paul, it was actually favored in the US before its French heyday. As it left the charts in America, the UK, and Switzerland, it spiked upwards in France, making the Top 10 in the 90s and remaining in the Top 100 until as recently as 2018. Now on decline there, could that be another sign it's ready for reconsideration elsewhere?
 Meaning "small" or "humble", Pauline was given to 56 babies in the US in a recent, revealing its stayed fairly steady in its usage since the 2000s. Similar Paulina is now preferred, given to 346 girls in the same year.
 Pauline was the name of Napoleon Buonaparte's favorite sister, and in literature there is a Pauline in Shakespeare's A Winter's Tale and in Sir Walter Scott's The Fortunes of Nigel.Vin Diesel chose this name for his daughter in a poignant tribute to his late friend and costar, Paul Walker.
 
The pronunciation of the name varies depending on language and location. English speakers are likely to be familiar with paw-LEEN, while in French, it's said with both syllables emphasized (PAW-LEEN). You may also hear pow-LEE-nuh (German) and pow-LIN (Swedish).

Old-Fashioned Girl Names

Names That Mean Small, Little, or Tiny

Girl Names Like Josephine

Top 1910s Baby Names 

Catholic Baby Names (with Meanings and Popularity)

Top 1920s Baby Names 

French Dog Names

Old People Names

Confirmation Names for Girls

Girl Names Uncommon in the US

Old-Fashioned Names

Girl Names That End in een, ene, or ine

Dog Names

German Dog Names

Serious Names

Nerdy Girl Names: Geek Chic Cool

Iambic Girl Names

Unique Celebrity Baby Names

French

Nameberry

Germany

The name Pauline peaked for girls at #32 in 1915. The name is most popular in Washington, California, and Illinois. Pauline is occasionally used for boys in 1964.

Paula

Pauline

About Pauline

Popularity & trends

Pauline in blog posts

Community discussions

Advanced Search

Save Pauline

Year	US rank	Births	Per million
2014	—	0	0
2015	—	0	0
2016	—	0	0
2017	—	0	0
2018	—	0	0
2019	—	0	0
2020	—	0	0
2021	—	0	0
2022	—	0	0
2023	—	0	0
2024	—	0	0
2025	—	0	0