Given name & surname · also French
Pauline
“a petite woman”
Pauline is a variant of Paula. In English use, Paula carries the interpretation “a petite woman.”
Original LatinPaulina
Meaning & origin
What it means
Pauline is a variant of Paula. In English use, Paula carries the interpretation “a petite woman.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Pauline comes from French, and ultimately from Latin.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
In French use, Pauline is used as a form of Paulina.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Pauline through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 227,179
- 775 boys · 226,404 girls
- Most popular year
- 1918
- 7,238 babies
- 2025
- 56
- #2,986 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −6%
- Steady
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 56 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,986 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 5.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 7,222 in 1918. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (9). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 70,447 as a first name in 2020; 853 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Pauline’s family of names
In French usage, Pauline is a diminutive of Paule. Pauline has a related form in Paula. In German usage, Pauline has a related form in Paula.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Pauline has relatives in 17 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
Latinwhere Pauline comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Paulefull form · French
- Paulinavariant · German, Latin
- Paulavariant · German, Swedish
- Pauliediminutive · English
- Pauleenvariant
- Paulenevariant
- Paulynevariant
- Paullinelikely variant
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Across languages 18
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Pauline
- Pauline BonaparteFrench princess1780–1825
- Jojo MoyesBritish novelist and journalistborn 1969
- Pauline ViardotFrench mezzo-soprano and composer1821–1910
- Pauline KaelAmerican film critic (1919-2001)
- Pauline CollinsBritish actress (1940–2025)
- Pauline Ferrand-PrévotFrench bicycle racer (born 1992)
- Pauline Therese of WürttembergQueen of Wurttemberg (1800-1873)
- Pauline ParmentierFrench tennis playerborn 1986
- Pauline HansonAustralian politician (born 1954)
Characters named Pauline: Pauline (Nintendo character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Pauline, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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