Baby Names US
girls' name ★ peaked 1918

Pauline

Meaning From French Pauline, in turn from Latin Paulīna Gender Girl Rank 2025 #2,986 Trend → Stable

From French Pauline, in turn from Latin Paulīna; in regular use since the 19th century.

Rank 2025
#2,986
among girls · ↑508 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
56
named Pauline · +24% vs 2024
How common
1 in 28,701
girls born in 2025
Peak year
1918
7,238 babies
All-time total
227,179
#177 all-time among girls
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Pauline popularity over time

227,179 babies have been named Pauline since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
1.883.755.637.518801900192019401960198020002020GirlsBoys
GirlsBoys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s 2,594 – 2,594 259 – #95
1890s 6,635 17 6,652 665 +156% #70
1900s 13,310 29 13,339 1,334 +101% #48
1910s 50,075 135 50,210 5,021 +276% #32
1920s 64,075 226 64,301 6,430 +28% #36
1930s 33,690 214 33,904 3,390 -47% #52
1940s 21,912 87 21,999 2,200 -35% #104
1950s 14,437 48 14,485 1,449 -34% #163
1960s 8,939 19 8,958 896 -38% #267
1970s 4,011 – 4,011 401 -55% #378
1980s 2,486 – 2,486 249 -38% #611
1990s 2,186 – 2,186 219 -12% #715
2000s 1,097 – 1,097 110 -50% #1,303
2010s 633 – 633 63 -42% #2,371
2020s (to 2025) 324 – 324 54 -15% #2,752

Where Pauline is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 girls (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 girls Implied rank
2026 56 0.03 outside top 500
2027 56 0.03 outside top 500
2028 56 0.03 outside top 500
2029 56 0.03 outside top 500
2030 56 0.03 outside top 500

The story of Pauline

Pauline is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #2,986 in 2025 with 56 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 227,179 American babies have been named Pauline. Its peak came in 1918, when 7,238 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1910s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Pauline stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Pauline?

The median living Pauline is about 73 years old; half are between 60 and 83. An estimated 55 thousand people named Pauline are alive in the United States today.

median 73 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Pauline year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 56 #2,986 – –
2024 45 #3,494 – –
2023 63 #2,752 – –
2022 58 #2,919 – –
2021 49 #3,287 – –
2020 53 #3,055 – –
2019 50 #3,211 – –
2018 62 #2,772 – –
2017 60 #2,830 – –
2016 63 #2,754 – –
2015 78 #2,371 – –
2014 68 #2,609 – –
2013 64 #2,719 – –
2012 66 #2,704 – –
2011 68 #2,633 – –
2010 54 #3,111 – –
2009 56 #3,081 – –
2008 68 #2,713 – –
2007 95 #2,128 – –
2006 88 #2,200 – –
2005 114 #1,736 – –
2004 105 #1,818 – –
2003 150 #1,356 – –
2002 145 #1,342 – –
2001 129 #1,463 – –
2000 147 #1,303 – –
1995 212 #897 – –
1990 275 #756 – –
1985 238 #724 – –
1980 290 #630 – –
1975 340 #520 – –
1970 633 #378 – –
1965 873 #306 – –
1960 1,113 #268 6 #3,953
1955 1,351 #221 – –
1950 1,739 #163 8 #2,960
1945 1,975 #125 8 #2,709
1940 2,409 #104 14 #1,963
1935 3,076 #80 20 #1,576
1930 4,655 #52 27 #1,416
1925 6,728 #38 21 #1,728
1920 7,180 #36 20 #1,805
1915 6,334 #32 11 #2,411
1910 2,153 #42 13 #918
1905 1,381 #54 9 #903
1900 1,104 #71 – –
1895 734 #76 – –
1890 475 #90 – –
1885 254 #109 – –
1880 144 #115 – –

Famous people named Pauline

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Pauline Collins Pauline Collins British actress (1940–2025) Contemporary
  2. 2 Pauline Ferrand-Prévot Pauline Ferrand-Prévot French bicycle racer (born 1992) Contemporary
  3. 3 Pauline Kael Pauline Kael American film critic (1919–2001) Contemporary
  4. 4 Pauline Moran British actress b. 1947 · Contemporary
  5. 5 Pauline Bonaparte Pauline Bonaparte Princess of Guastalla 1780–1825 · 18th century
  6. 6 Pauline Oliveros Pauline Oliveros American composer and musician (1932–2016) Contemporary
  7. 7 Pauline Baynes Pauline Baynes English illustrator of children's books (1922–2008) Contemporary
  8. 8 Pauline Marois Pauline Marois Premier of Quebec from 2012 to 2014 b. 1949 · Contemporary
  9. 9 Pauline Betz Pauline Betz American tennis player (1919–2011) Contemporary
  10. 10 Pauline Viardot Pauline Viardot French mezzo-soprano (1821–1910) 19th century
  11. 11 Pauline Chan Bo-Lin Pauline Chan Bo-Lin Hong Kong actress (1973–2002) Contemporary
  12. 12 Pauline Therese of Württemberg Pauline Therese of Württemberg Queen of Württemberg from 1820 to 1864 1800–1873 · 18th century
  13. 13 Pauline Frederick Pauline Frederick American actress (1883–1938) 19th century
  14. 14 Pauline Starke Pauline Starke American actress (1901–1977) Contemporary
  15. 15 Pauline Davis-Thompson Bahamian sprinter b. 1966 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Pauline Parmentier Pauline Parmentier French tennis player (born 1986) Contemporary
  17. 17 Pauline Bush Pauline Bush American actress (1886–1969) 19th century

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Pauline, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Pauline?

The median living Pauline is about 73 years old. Half of all living Paulines are between 60 and 83 years old.

How many people named Pauline are alive today?

An estimated 55 thousand people named Pauline are alive in the United States, based on 227,179 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Pauline mean?

From French Pauline, in turn from Latin Paulīna; in regular use since the 19th century.

How popular is the name Pauline in 2025?

Pauline ranked #2,986 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 56 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Pauline?

227,179 babies have been named Pauline in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Pauline most popular?

Pauline peaked in 1918, when 7,238 newborns received the name.

Is Pauline a boy or girl name?

Pauline is overwhelmingly a girl's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Pauline rising or falling?

Pauline is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Pauline become more popular?

Pauline looks stable. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 56 girls named Pauline in 2030, ranking outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Pauline?

Well-known people named Pauline include Pauline Collins (actor), Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (cyclist), Pauline Kael (writer).

Names like Pauline

Names that sound and feel close to Pauline: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Pauline with similar names → More names starting with P →