Paula (given name)

Paula

Pronunciation	/ˈpɔːlə/
Gender	Female
Origin
Word/name	Latin
Meaning	Petite
Other names
Related names	Paulina, Pavla, Pola, Polina

An engraving of Saint Paula

Paula is a common female given name (from Latin Paula, petite). It is used in German, English, Estonian, Finnish, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, Romanian, Hungarian, Polish, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Croatian and Greek languages. In Greek it means: Polina. Notable people with this name include:

• Saint Paula (347–404), saint and follower of St Jerome
• Paula Abdul (born 1962), American pop singer and television personality
• Paula Acker (1913–1989), German correspondent, journalist, communist activist
• Paula Angel (c. 1842–1861), Mexican-American woman executed for the murder of her lover
• Paula Badosa, Spanish tennis player
• Paula Barker, British Labour politician
• Paula Berry (born 1969), American javelin thrower
• Paula Brébion (1861–1952), French singer and actress.
• Paula Byrne (born 1967), English author
• Paula Cable-Dunlap, American chemist
• Paula Cardoso (born 1979), Portuguese journalist and activist
• Paula Cole (born 1968), American singer-songwriter
• Paula Creamer (born 1986), American golfer
• Paula Nicho Cumez (born 1955), Mayan-Guatemalan artist
• Paula Davis (born 1973), American state legislator
• Paula DeAnda (born 1989), American R&B singer
• Paula Deen (born 1947), American cook, restaurateur, writer, and TV personality
• Paula E. Downing (1951–2017), American writer
• Paula Dei Mansi (d. 1288), Italian scribe
• Paula Echevarría (born 1977), Spanish model and actress
• Paula Fernandes (born 1984), Brazilian singer
• Paula Forteza (born 1986), French politician
• Paula Fudge (born 1952), English long-distance runner
• Paula Green (poet) (born 1955), New Zealand poet and children's author
• Paula Gunn Allen (1939–2008), Native American author and activist
• Paula Hawkins (politician) (1927–2009), American politician
• Paula Hertwig (1889–1983), German biologist, politician
• Paula Hitler (1896–1960), Adolf Hitler's sister
• Paula Jensen (born 1980), Faroese footballer
• Paula Kelley (born 1970), American indie singer-songwriter
• Paula Kelly (actress) (1943–2020), American actress and dancer
• Paula Kelly (singer) (1919–1992), American big band singer
• Paula Lane (born 1986), English actress
• Paula Murray (born 1958), Canadian ceramic artist
• Paula Nenette Pepin (1908–1990), French composer, pianist and lyricist
• Paula Nickolds (born 1973), British businesswoman
• Paula Patton (born 1975), American actress
• Paula Posavec (born 1996), Croatian handball player
• Paula Poundstone (born 1959), American comedian
• Paula Prioteasa (born 1936), Romanian politician
• Paula Radcliffe (born 1973), English long distance runner and Olympian
• Paula Rego (1935–2022), Portuguese-British painter and visual artist
• Paula Bataona Renyaan (1942–2007), Indonesian police general and politician
• Paula Roberson, American biostatistician
• Paula Scher (born 1948), American artist
• Paula Seling (born 1978), Romanian singer
• Paula Strautmane (born 1997), Latvian basketball player
• Paula Jean Swearengin (born 1974), American politician
• Paula Taylor (born 1983), Thai actress and model
• Paula Thebert (born 1968), known as Lacey Wildd, American model
• Paula Tilbrook (1930–2019), English actress
• Paula Todoran (born 1985), Romanian long-distance runner
• Paula Tooths (born 1978), British-Brazilian journalist and executive producer
• Paula Tsui (born 1956), Hong Kong singer
• Paula Mary Turnbull (1921–2018), American welding nun
• Paula Weishoff (born 1962), American volleyball player
• Paula White (born 1966), American pastor and televangelist
• Paula Wilcox (born 1949), English actress
• Paula Vicente (1519–1576), Portuguese artist, musician and writer
• Paula Yates (1959–2000), English television presenter
• Paula Zahn (born 1956), American newscaster

In fiction

• Paula, a lead character in the Super Nintendo videogame, EarthBound
• Paula Campbell (EastEnders), in 2003
• Doctor Paula Hutchison, a character from the animated series Rocko's Modern Life
• Paula Pokrifki, one of the two main characters in the 1982 movie An Officer and a Gentleman
• Paula Thackery, a recurring character played by Julianne McNamara in the American sitcom television series Charles in Charge
• Paula, in The Larry Sanders Show

See also

• Paul (name)
• Paula (disambiguation)
• Paulina (name)
• Pauline (given name)