Every name given to a US baby since 1880, ranked year by year — straight from Social Security Administration birth records. 105,966 names · 375,362,447 births · public domain.

Paula

#142 most common girls' name of all time · #281 across all names · <1% male / >99% female · used 1880–2025

Rank among girls
#142
Rank overall
#281 of 105,966
First appeared
1880 or earlier
Years on the list
146 of 146
All-time
281,769
Since 2016
3,519
Peak year
1963 #42
Best rank
#38 1954
Girls Boys peak 10,183/yr
18801900192019401960198020002020

Paula is in the records from the very first year available, so it was almost certainly in use before 1880 — the data simply doesn't go back further.

Year by year

YearGirlsBoysTotalRank
2025 318 318 #853
2024 375 375 #752
2023 402 6 408 #706
2022 349 6 355 #806
2021 338 338 #823
2020 331 5 336 #822
2019 373 373 #753
2018 344 344 #793
2017 319 5 324 #856
2016 348 348 #826
2015 310 9 319 #889
2014 267 267 #994
2013 307 307 #847
2012 385 385 #722
2011 325 325 #817
2010 332 332 #814
2009 362 6 368 #781
2008 448 5 453 #679
2007 455 5 460 #651
2006 431 431 #667
2005 416 8 424 #667
2004 419 6 425 #652
2003 356 356 #719
2002 416 5 421 #615
2001 420 420 #600
2000 454 8 462 #574
1999 446 446 #564
1998 457 5 462 #545
1997 504 504 #489
1996 552 552 #454
1995 553 8 561 #458
1994 623 8 631 #402
1993 630 13 643 #400
1992 776 5 781 #338
1991 849 7 856 #320
1990 940 10 950 #296
1989 794 16 810 #321
1988 812 14 826 #304
1987 903 9 912 #272
1986 881 11 892 #279
1985 1,015 10 1,025 #250
1984 1,102 11 1,113 #230
1983 1,159 14 1,173 #220
1982 1,328 18 1,346 #204
1981 1,480 12 1,492 #186
1980 1,598 8 1,606 #173
1979 1,694 10 1,704 #165
1978 1,827 10 1,837 #150
1977 2,043 12 2,055 #144
1976 2,250 7 2,257 #121
1975 2,651 17 2,668 #108
1974 3,061 18 3,079 #96
1973 3,504 19 3,523 #87
1972 4,260 13 4,273 #72
1971 5,379 15 5,394 #63
1970 6,055 22 6,077 #57
1969 6,753 22 6,775 #50
1968 7,637 23 7,660 #45
1967 7,694 23 7,717 #46
1966 7,856 13 7,869 #50
1965 7,915 19 7,934 #49
1964 9,498 17 9,515 #45
1963 10,156 27 10,183 #42
1962 7,193 10 7,203 #60
1961 7,744 19 7,763 #60
1960 8,066 16 8,082 #55
1959 8,059 21 8,080 #51
1958 8,025 27 8,052 #53
1957 8,544 15 8,559 #49
1956 8,925 22 8,947 #47
1955 9,585 13 9,598 #39
1954 9,686 12 9,698 #38
1953 9,557 15 9,572 #40
1952 8,567 17 8,584 #47
1951 7,290 8 7,298 #51
1950 6,631 9 6,640 #54
1949 6,577 18 6,595 #55
1948 6,600 10 6,610 #52
1947 6,102 8 6,110 #54
1946 4,724 12 4,736 #69
1945 3,798 11 3,809 #67
1944 3,315 14 3,329 #82
1943 3,042 17 3,059 #93
1942 1,974 9 1,983 #136
1941 1,540 1,540 #151
1940 1,372 9 1,381 #155
1939 1,348 5 1,353 #159
1938 1,318 8 1,326 #163
1937 1,212 1,212 #165
1936 982 6 988 #185
1935 774 774 #223
1934 759 11 770 #228
1933 611 611 #245
1932 658 658 #238
1931 585 7 592 #250
1930 614 9 623 #252
1929 619 5 624 #254
1928 558 558 #276
1927 602 602 #271
1926 541 5 546 #286
1925 464 464 #308
1924 418 418 #329
1923 378 378 #337
1922 305 305 #373
1921 326 326 #373
1920 343 343 #354
1919 245 245 #415
1918 265 265 #402
1917 303 5 308 #360
1916 289 289 #361
1915 228 228 #398
1914 184 184 #390
1913 150 150 #398
1912 164 164 #358
1911 105 105 #395
1910 89 89 #418
1909 76 76 #425
1908 83 83 #404
1907 76 76 #408
1906 89 89 #354
1905 68 68 #409
1904 79 79 #371
1903 57 57 #423
1902 41 41 #495
1901 50 50 #426
1900 47 47 #494
1899 40 40 #465
1898 55 55 #417
1897 45 45 #438
1896 47 47 #422
1895 37 37 #486
1894 34 34 #492
1893 47 47 #393
1892 40 40 #427
1891 44 44 #383
1890 35 35 #434
1889 33 33 #427
1888 27 27 #481
1887 26 26 #444
1886 21 21 #488
1885 16 16 #548
1884 12 12 #624
1883 19 19 #448
1882 6 6 #821
1881 9 9 #597
1880 9 9 #621