Is Paula a boy or girl name?
Paula is a girl name in the US. In 2024, 374 girls and 0 boys were named Paula, so 100% were girls. Across 1880–2024, 99.7% of the 281,450 US babies named Paula were girls.
- Boy rank, 2024
- Not ranked
- Girl rank, 2024
- #753
- Babies named Paula since 1880
- 281,450
- Most popular year
- 1963
- 10,178 babies
Boys and girls named Paula, by decade
| Decade | Boys | Girls | Share girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 0 | 178 | 100% |
| 1890s | 0 | 424 | 100% |
| 1900s | 0 | 666 | 100% |
| 1910s | 5 | 2,022 | 99.8% |
| 1920s | 10 | 4,554 | 99.8% |
| 1930s | 46 | 8,861 | 99.5% |
| 1940s | 108 | 39,045 | 99.7% |
| 1950s | 159 | 84,869 | 99.8% |
| 1960s | 189 | 80,511 | 99.8% |
| 1970s | 143 | 32,725 | 99.6% |
| 1980s | 123 | 11,073 | 98.9% |
| 1990s | 56 | 6,330 | 99.1% |
| 2000s | 43 | 4,176 | 99% |
| 2010s | 14 | 3,310 | 99.6% |
| 2020s | 17 | 1,793 | 99.1% |
Every year
| Year | Boys | Boy rank | Girls | Girl rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | – | 374 | #753 |
| 2023 | 6 | #11,888 | 401 | #707 |
| 2022 | 6 | #11,941 | 349 | #806 |
| 2021 | 0 | – | 338 | #822 |
| 2020 | 5 | #13,543 | 331 | #824 |
| 2019 | 0 | – | 373 | #753 |
| 2018 | 0 | – | 344 | #794 |
| 2017 | 5 | #13,741 | 319 | #858 |
| 2016 | 0 | – | 348 | #825 |
| 2015 | 9 | #8,545 | 310 | #891 |
| 2014 | 0 | – | 267 | #995 |
| 2013 | 0 | – | 307 | #848 |
| 2012 | 0 | – | 385 | #724 |
| 2011 | 0 | – | 325 | #819 |
| 2010 | 0 | – | 332 | #815 |
| 2009 | 6 | #12,091 | 362 | #782 |
| 2008 | 5 | #14,086 | 448 | #679 |
| 2007 | 5 | #13,881 | 455 | #652 |
| 2006 | 0 | – | 431 | #669 |
| 2005 | 8 | #8,896 | 416 | #670 |
| 2004 | 6 | #10,974 | 419 | #655 |
| 2003 | 0 | – | 356 | #720 |
| 2002 | 5 | #11,999 | 415 | #617 |
| 2001 | 0 | – | 420 | #600 |
| 2000 | 8 | #7,997 | 454 | #574 |
| 1999 | 0 | – | 446 | #564 |
| 1998 | 5 | #10,863 | 457 | #546 |
| 1997 | 0 | – | 504 | #490 |
| 1996 | 0 | – | 552 | #455 |
| 1995 | 8 | #6,822 | 553 | #458 |
| 1994 | 8 | #6,815 | 623 | #402 |
| 1993 | 13 | #4,628 | 630 | #400 |
| 1992 | 5 | #9,444 | 776 | #338 |
| 1991 | 7 | #7,075 | 849 | #320 |
| 1990 | 10 | #5,276 | 940 | #297 |
| 1989 | 16 | #3,573 | 794 | #321 |
| 1988 | 14 | #3,655 | 811 | #305 |
| 1987 | 9 | #4,855 | 903 | #272 |
| 1986 | 11 | #4,059 | 881 | #279 |
| 1985 | 10 | #4,260 | 1,015 | #250 |
| 1984 | 11 | #3,868 | 1,102 | #230 |
| 1983 | 14 | #3,190 | 1,160 | #220 |
| 1982 | 18 | #2,674 | 1,328 | #205 |
| 1981 | 12 | #3,559 | 1,481 | #186 |
| 1980 | 8 | #4,832 | 1,598 | #173 |
| 1979 | 10 | #4,003 | 1,694 | #165 |
| 1978 | 10 | #3,781 | 1,827 | #150 |
| 1977 | 12 | #3,330 | 2,043 | #144 |
| 1976 | 7 | #4,790 | 2,251 | #121 |
| 1975 | 17 | #2,513 | 2,652 | #108 |
| 1974 | 18 | #2,339 | 3,061 | #96 |
| 1973 | 19 | #2,193 | 3,504 | #87 |
| 1972 | 13 | #2,784 | 4,260 | #72 |
| 1971 | 15 | #2,526 | 5,378 | #63 |
| 1970 | 22 | #1,920 | 6,055 | #57 |
| 1969 | 22 | #1,794 | 6,754 | #50 |
| 1968 | 23 | #1,679 | 7,638 | #45 |
| 1967 | 23 | #1,640 | 7,692 | #46 |
| 1966 | 13 | #2,310 | 7,857 | #50 |
| 1965 | 19 | #1,844 | 7,914 | #49 |
| 1964 | 17 | #2,022 | 9,501 | #45 |
| 1963 | 27 | #1,537 | 10,151 | #42 |
| 1962 | 10 | #2,799 | 7,193 | #60 |
| 1961 | 19 | #1,925 | 7,746 | #60 |
| 1960 | 16 | #2,099 | 8,065 | #55 |
| 1959 | 21 | #1,790 | 8,059 | #51 |
| 1958 | 27 | #1,529 | 8,025 | #53 |
| 1957 | 15 | #2,168 | 8,544 | #49 |
| 1956 | 22 | #1,707 | 8,925 | #47 |
| 1955 | 13 | #2,286 | 9,585 | #39 |
| 1954 | 12 | #2,406 | 9,686 | #38 |
| 1953 | 15 | #2,085 | 9,557 | #40 |
| 1952 | 17 | #1,922 | 8,566 | #47 |
| 1951 | 8 | #3,011 | 7,291 | #51 |
| 1950 | 9 | #2,722 | 6,631 | #54 |
| 1949 | 18 | #1,806 | 6,577 | #55 |
| 1948 | 10 | #2,573 | 6,600 | #52 |
| 1947 | 8 | #3,040 | 6,102 | #54 |
| 1946 | 12 | #2,243 | 4,725 | #69 |
| 1945 | 11 | #2,215 | 3,798 | #67 |
| 1944 | 14 | #1,958 | 3,315 | #82 |
| 1943 | 17 | #1,815 | 3,042 | #93 |
| 1942 | 9 | #2,668 | 1,974 | #136 |
| 1941 | 0 | – | 1,540 | #151 |
| 1940 | 9 | #2,625 | 1,372 | #155 |
| 1939 | 5 | #3,847 | 1,348 | #159 |
| 1938 | 8 | #2,806 | 1,318 | #163 |
| 1937 | 0 | – | 1,212 | #165 |
| 1936 | 6 | #3,445 | 982 | #185 |
| 1935 | 0 | – | 774 | #222 |
| 1934 | 11 | #2,361 | 759 | #228 |
| 1933 | 0 | – | 611 | #245 |
| 1932 | 0 | – | 658 | #239 |
| 1931 | 7 | #3,323 | 585 | #250 |
| 1930 | 9 | #2,953 | 614 | #252 |
| 1929 | 5 | #4,404 | 619 | #254 |
| 1928 | 0 | – | 558 | #276 |
| 1927 | 0 | – | 602 | #271 |
| 1926 | 5 | #4,673 | 541 | #286 |
| 1925 | 0 | – | 464 | #308 |
| 1924 | 0 | – | 418 | #329 |
| 1923 | 0 | – | 378 | #337 |
| 1922 | 0 | – | 305 | #374 |
| 1921 | 0 | – | 326 | #373 |
| 1920 | 0 | – | 343 | #354 |
| 1919 | 0 | – | 245 | #415 |
| 1918 | 0 | – | 265 | #401 |
| 1917 | 5 | #4,434 | 303 | #360 |
| 1916 | 0 | – | 289 | #361 |
| 1915 | 0 | – | 228 | #399 |
| 1914 | 0 | – | 184 | #390 |
| 1913 | 0 | – | 150 | #398 |
| 1912 | 0 | – | 164 | #358 |
| 1911 | 0 | – | 105 | #394 |
| 1910 | 0 | – | 89 | #419 |
| 1909 | 0 | – | 76 | #424 |
| 1908 | 0 | – | 83 | #403 |
| 1907 | 0 | – | 76 | #408 |
| 1906 | 0 | – | 89 | #355 |
| 1905 | 0 | – | 68 | #411 |
| 1904 | 0 | – | 79 | #371 |
| 1903 | 0 | – | 57 | #424 |
| 1902 | 0 | – | 41 | #499 |
| 1901 | 0 | – | 50 | #426 |
| 1900 | 0 | – | 47 | #497 |
| 1899 | 0 | – | 40 | #463 |
| 1898 | 0 | – | 55 | #418 |
| 1897 | 0 | – | 45 | #438 |
| 1896 | 0 | – | 47 | #421 |
| 1895 | 0 | – | 37 | #485 |
| 1894 | 0 | – | 34 | #491 |
| 1893 | 0 | – | 47 | #393 |
| 1892 | 0 | – | 40 | #425 |
| 1891 | 0 | – | 44 | #383 |
| 1890 | 0 | – | 35 | #433 |
| 1889 | 0 | – | 33 | #427 |
| 1888 | 0 | – | 27 | #483 |
| 1887 | 0 | – | 26 | #444 |
| 1886 | 0 | – | 21 | #489 |
| 1885 | 0 | – | 16 | #554 |
| 1884 | 0 | – | 12 | #634 |
| 1883 | 0 | – | 19 | #447 |
| 1882 | 0 | – | 6 | #880 |
| 1881 | 0 | – | 9 | #616 |
| 1880 | 0 | – | 9 | #621 |
Highest rank
As a boy name, Paula reached #1,529 in 1958. As a girl name, it reached #38 in 1954. Ranks count every name SSA published for that year and sex, so they go well past the top 1,000.
Names from the same era
These names were also most popular in the 1960s, with a similar number of babies. They can work as sibling or middle names that feel like they belong together.
Names spelled like Paula
Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880–2024. Counts are Social Security card applications for US births; SSA leaves out names given to fewer than 5 babies in a year. Updated 2026-10-05. How these numbers are made.