The baby name Paulina is feminine, traditional, and a little bit romantic, too.
Thanks to Mikayla for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
THE MEANING OF PAULINA
New Testament Paul is a powerhouse. He authored much of the New Testament, and his words remain widely read, translated into countless languages, interpreted and considered daily all around the world.
No surprise, then, that his name endures, too.
Paul ranked in the US Top 20 from the 1890s into the 1960s, and remained in the Top 100 until the year 2000. As of 2023, Paul stands at #256 – still widely used, but not in the same category as Theodore, James, and Henry – at least not right now.
Famous men by the name are plentiful: Cezanne, Revere, McCartney. The late actor Paul Walker, famous for the Fast & Furious franchise, is another.
Paul literally means small, from the Roman family name Paulus. Though rather than small in stature, it likely suggests humility. That makes it a virtue name.
Feminine forms of the name share Paul’s meaning.
PAULA, PAULINE, PAULETTE
No feminine form of Paul has ever reached the same heights of popularity, though.
PAULA
The most logical feminine form of Paul, Paula is the heavy hitter. It ranked in the US Top 100 from the 1940s into the 1970s, and still stands at #706 in 2023. Back in 1962, pop duo Paul & Paula scored a hit with “Hey Paula.” Their real names? Ray and Jill. But it’s the former #1 song that we remember.
PAULINE
The French name Pauline fared well from the nineteenth century into the 1930s.
Pop culture embraced the name. In 1914, a series of short films titled The Perils of Pauline featured a damsel in distress. Pauline Marvin set off on a year of adventuring before marrying her boyfriend. While her faithful intended, Harry, does rescue her occasionally, Pauline also manages to save herself.
1930s children’s book Ballet Shoes featured three adopted sisters named Posy, Petrova, and Paulina Fossil. Posy is the dancer; Pauline, the eldest, becomes a successful actress.
Pauline Frederick was a real life star of stage. While she sometimes appeared in silent and talking films, Frederick preferred Broadway, where her career continued into the 1930s.
Pauline was given to just 63 girls in 2023.
PAULETTE
Equally French Paulette owes some success to Ziegfield girl turned Hollywood star, Paulette Goddard.
The name peaked at #117 in 1946, and stayed in the Top 1000 until 1980. 135 girls were named Paulette in 2023.
That brings us to the baby name Paulina.
SAINT PAULINA
In the ancient world, Paul became Paulinus. Paulina emerged as a logical feminine form. The Roman Emperor Hadrian was related to three women named Paulina: his mother, his older sister, and his niece. They’re not the only ones in the ancient world.
Fast forward to the year 302, and Saint Paulina was martyred for her faith.
There’s also the first Brazilian to be proclaimed a saint, Paulina of the Agonizing Heart of Jesus. Born in Austria-Hungary, she founded the Little Sister of the Immaculate Conception, ministering to the poor in her adopted home country. She died in 1942 and was canonized in 2002.
The name has been used in English for centuries, though it’s never been common. In fact, a character in Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale answers to Paulina.
The baby name Paulina is used in Spanish and Portuguese, as well as Swedish, German, Polish, and other Slavic languages.
PAULINA PORIZKOVA
Born in Czechoslovakia, Paulina Porizkova grew up in Sweden before becoming a model in Paris while still in her early teens. By 18, she was an international celebrity and became one of the most famous supermodels of the 1980s and 90s. Porizkova remained in the spotlight with acting, television appearances, and a high profile marriage to musician Ric Ocasek of The Cars.
HOW POPULAR IS PAULINA?
Porizkova also deserves credit for the rise of the baby name Paulina.
While it ranked in the US Top 1000 in the late nineteenth century, it last appeared on the charts in 1928.
Until Porizkova’s star rose.
The name returned to the US Top 1000 in 1988, a few years after Porizkova became a household name.
It has ranked every year since. As of 2023, the baby name Paulina stands at #777.
TIMELESS, INTERNATIONAL, GLAM
There’s something about the baby name Paulina that feels timeless and enduring.
It’s effortlessly international, tough to pin down to a single nationally. Paulina is a baby name with an EU passport.
But it’s also vaguely glamorous, the kind of name we’d expect on a supermodel or a high-profile executive or diplomat.
While it’s easy to shorten, Paulina requires no nickname. It fits right in with Sophia and Penelope, while still feeling distinctive and fresh.
What do you think of the baby name Paulina?
First published on December 3, 2015, this post was revised on July 27, 2024.
As a kid I loved the name Paul, although interestingly when I was actually pregnant it never even came up for consideration. I still think it’s great, but I don’t like the feminine forms as much. Paula feels dated to me since I knew so many growing up. What really tips the balance for me with either Pauline or Paulina is the idea of Polly as a nickname. I’d never thought of that, but I love it!