Paula was a very popular girls' name that peaked at #38 in 1954 but is far less common today.
Paula is predominantly a girl name. In 2025 it ranked #855 for girl births in the United States (and #1,624 across all names), given to 318 babies — 370 including U.S. territories. Paula was first reported in SSA data in 1880 and peaked in 1963 (10,156 births).
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 318 | 370 | #855 | — |
| 2024 | 375 | 420 | #754 | — |
| 2023 | 408 | 464 | #707 | #11,897 |
| 2022 | 355 | 407 | #806 | #11,948 |
| 2021 | 338 | 381 | #823 | — |
| 2020 | 336 | 392 | #824 | #13,549 |
| 2019 | 373 | 420 | #753 | — |
| 2018 | 344 | 382 | #794 | — |
| 2017 | 324 | 361 | #858 | #13,745 |
| 2016 | 348 | 389 | #826 | — |
| 2015 | 319 | 371 | #891 | #8,547 |
| 2014 | 267 | 303 | #996 | — |
| 2013 | 307 | 354 | #848 | — |
| 2012 | 385 | 431 | #725 | — |
| 2011 | 325 | 370 | #819 | — |
| 2010 | 332 | 366 | #815 | — |
| 2009 | 368 | 413 | #782 | #12,091 |
| 2008 | 453 | 496 | #679 | #14,087 |
| 2007 | 460 | 492 | #652 | #13,882 |
| 2006 | 431 | 472 | #669 | — |
| 2005 | 424 | 478 | #670 | #8,898 |
| 2004 | 425 | 452 | #655 | #10,975 |
| 2003 | 356 | 396 | #720 | — |
| 2002 | 421 | 479 | #616 | #12,000 |
| 2001 | 420 | 448 | #600 | — |
| 2000 | 462 | 509 | #574 | #7,998 |
| 1999 | 446 | 502 | #564 | — |
| 1998 | 462 | 506 | #546 | #10,863 |
| 1997 | 504 | — | #490 | — |
| 1996 | 552 | — | #455 | — |
| 1995 | 561 | — | #458 | #6,822 |
| 1994 | 631 | — | #402 | #6,814 |
| 1993 | 643 | — | #400 | #4,628 |
| 1992 | 781 | — | #338 | #9,444 |
| 1991 | 856 | — | #320 | #7,075 |
| 1990 | 950 | — | #297 | #5,276 |
| 1989 | 810 | — | #321 | #3,573 |
| 1988 | 826 | — | #304 | #3,656 |
| 1987 | 912 | — | #272 | #4,856 |
| 1986 | 892 | — | #279 | #4,059 |
| 1985 | 1,025 | — | #250 | #4,261 |
| 1984 | 1,113 | — | #230 | #3,868 |
| 1983 | 1,173 | — | #220 | #3,190 |
| 1982 | 1,346 | — | #205 | #2,674 |
| 1981 | 1,492 | — | #186 | #3,557 |
| 1980 | 1,606 | — | #173 | #4,832 |
| 1979 | 1,704 | — | #165 | #4,003 |
| 1978 | 1,837 | — | #150 | #3,783 |
| 1977 | 2,055 | — | #144 | #3,330 |
| 1976 | 2,257 | — | #121 | #4,788 |
| 1975 | 2,668 | — | #108 | #2,512 |
| 1974 | 3,079 | — | #96 | #2,339 |
| 1973 | 3,523 | — | #87 | #2,192 |
| 1972 | 4,273 | — | #72 | #2,784 |
| 1971 | 5,394 | — | #63 | #2,526 |
| 1970 | 6,077 | — | #57 | #1,920 |
| 1969 | 6,775 | — | #50 | #1,795 |
| 1968 | 7,660 | — | #45 | #1,679 |
| 1967 | 7,717 | — | #46 | #1,640 |
| 1966 | 7,869 | — | #50 | #2,310 |
| 1965 | 7,934 | — | #49 | #1,844 |
| 1964 | 9,515 | — | #45 | #2,022 |
| 1963 | 10,183 | — | #42 | #1,537 |
| 1962 | 7,203 | — | #60 | #2,802 |
| 1961 | 7,763 | — | #60 | #1,925 |
| 1960 | 8,082 | — | #55 | #2,100 |
| 1959 | 8,080 | — | #51 | #1,789 |
| 1958 | 8,052 | — | #53 | #1,529 |
| 1957 | 8,559 | — | #49 | #2,168 |
| 1956 | 8,947 | — | #47 | #1,707 |
| 1955 | 9,598 | — | #39 | #2,285 |
| 1954 | 9,698 | — | #38 | #2,407 |
| 1953 | 9,572 | — | #40 | #2,085 |
| 1952 | 8,584 | — | #47 | #1,923 |
| 1951 | 7,298 | — | #51 | #3,010 |
| 1950 | 6,640 | — | #54 | #2,722 |
| 1949 | 6,595 | — | #55 | #1,806 |
| 1948 | 6,610 | — | #52 | #2,573 |
| 1947 | 6,110 | — | #54 | #3,040 |
| 1946 | 4,736 | — | #69 | #2,243 |
| 1945 | 3,809 | — | #67 | #2,215 |
| 1944 | 3,329 | — | #82 | #1,958 |
| 1943 | 3,059 | — | #93 | #1,815 |
| 1942 | 1,983 | — | #136 | #2,668 |
| 1941 | 1,540 | — | #151 | — |
| 1940 | 1,381 | — | #155 | #2,625 |
| 1939 | 1,353 | — | #159 | #3,847 |
| 1938 | 1,326 | — | #163 | #2,806 |
| 1937 | 1,212 | — | #165 | — |
| 1936 | 988 | — | #185 | #3,445 |
| 1935 | 774 | — | #222 | — |
| 1934 | 770 | — | #228 | #2,361 |
| 1933 | 611 | — | #245 | — |
| 1932 | 658 | — | #239 | — |
| 1931 | 592 | — | #250 | #3,323 |
| 1930 | 623 | — | #252 | #2,953 |
| 1929 | 624 | — | #254 | #4,404 |
| 1928 | 558 | — | #276 | — |
| 1927 | 602 | — | #271 | — |
| 1926 | 546 | — | #286 | #4,673 |
| 1925 | 464 | — | #308 | — |
| 1924 | 418 | — | #329 | — |
| 1923 | 378 | — | #337 | — |
| 1922 | 305 | — | #374 | — |
| 1921 | 326 | — | #373 | — |
| 1920 | 343 | — | #354 | — |
| 1919 | 245 | — | #415 | — |
| 1918 | 265 | — | #401 | — |
| 1917 | 308 | — | #360 | #4,434 |
| 1916 | 289 | — | #361 | — |
| 1915 | 228 | — | #399 | — |
| 1914 | 184 | — | #390 | — |
| 1913 | 150 | — | #398 | — |
| 1912 | 164 | — | #358 | — |
| 1911 | 105 | — | #394 | — |
| 1910 | 89 | — | #419 | — |
| 1909 | 76 | — | #424 | — |
| 1908 | 83 | — | #403 | — |
| 1907 | 76 | — | #408 | — |
| 1906 | 89 | — | #355 | — |
| 1905 | 68 | — | #411 | — |
| 1904 | 79 | — | #371 | — |
| 1903 | 57 | — | #424 | — |
| 1902 | 41 | — | #499 | — |
| 1901 | 50 | — | #426 | — |
| 1900 | 47 | — | #497 | — |
| 1899 | 40 | — | #463 | — |
| 1898 | 55 | — | #418 | — |
| 1897 | 45 | — | #438 | — |
| 1896 | 47 | — | #421 | — |
| 1895 | 37 | — | #485 | — |
| 1894 | 34 | — | #491 | — |
| 1893 | 47 | — | #393 | — |
| 1892 | 40 | — | #425 | — |
| 1891 | 44 | — | #383 | — |
| 1890 | 35 | — | #433 | — |
| 1889 | 33 | — | #427 | — |
| 1888 | 27 | — | #483 | — |
| 1887 | 26 | — | #444 | — |
| 1886 | 21 | — | #489 | — |
| 1885 | 16 | — | #554 | — |
| 1884 | 12 | — | #634 | — |
| 1883 | 19 | — | #447 | — |
| 1882 | 6 | — | #880 | — |
| 1881 | 9 | — | #616 | — |
| 1880 | 9 | — | #621 | — |