Paola is the Italian and Spanish feminine form of Paul, from the Latin paulus, "small" or "humble", the name the apostle took after his conversion. It is a staple in Italy and Latin America and became a leading name in Mexican American families in the early 2000s. Paola peaked at number 302 in 2006, dropped out of the US top 1000 in 2023 and ranks number 1,260 in 2025.