Pauline
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Pauline
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).
Pauline is also given to boys.
Pronounced paw-LEEN.
As of October 2026, Pauline ranked #2986 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #32 in 1915, Nameberry popularity #637.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #2,609 | 68 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #2,371 | 78 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #2,753 | 63 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #2,828 | 60 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #2,771 | 62 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #3,208 | 50 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #3,054 | 53 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #3,283 | 49 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #2,948 | 57 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #2,749 | 63 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #3,475 | 45 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #2,986 | 56 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Pauline for girls
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Pauline on lists
Famous Paulines
- Pauline Esther "Popo" Phillips aka Abigail van BurenGirl
American advice columnist of "Dear Abby"
- Pauline CushmanGirl
American actress
- Pauline BetzGirl
American tennis player
- Pauline FrederickGirl
American actress
- Pauline HopkinsGirl
American novelist and playwright
- Pauline MaroisGirl
Canadian politician; Premier of Quebec
- Pauline KaelGirl
American film critic
- Pauline ParmentierGirl
French tennis player
- Pauline Christine Wilhelmine of AnhaltGirl
Bernburg, Princess consort of Lippe
- Pauline Clementine Marie Walburga Sa¡ndor de SzlavniczaGirl
Princess of Metternich,Winneburg zu Beilstein, Hungarian arts patron
- Pauline ViardotGirl
French musician
- Pauline McLynnGirl
Irish actress, comedienne and author
- Pauline Bonaparte (born Maria Paola Buonaparte)Girl
Duchess of Guastalla, younger sister of emperor Napoleon Bonaparte
- Pauline CollinsGirl
English actress
- Pauline Perpetua QuirkeGirl
English actress
- Pauline ReageGirl
French erotic novelist
- Pauline Lee HansonGirl
Australian senator
- Pauline ScanlonGirl
Irish singer of group Lumiere
- Pauline Grace Maguy Ducreut (b. 1994)Girl
daughter of Princess Stephanie of Monaco
- Grace Pauline Kelley (b. 1996)Girl
daughter of singer Wynonna Judd and Arch Kelley
- Pauline Sinclair (b. 2015)Girl
daughter of actor Vin Diesel
- Adeline Pauline Zamprogna (b. 2015)Girl
daughter of actor Dominic Zamprogna
Pauline in pop culture
- Pauline BreedloveGirl
character in Morrison's "The Bluest Eye"
- Pauline FossilGirl
a character in the novel/film "Ballet Shoes"
- PaulineGirl
character from British TV series "The Paradise"
- Pauline MoleGirl
Adrian's mother in the Adrian Mole series
- PaulineGirl
character in "St. Clare" book series by Enid Blyton
- Pauline WanGirl
character in "The Sims 3" computer game
- Pauline AspirGirl
character in “The Sims 2” computer game