Paula is the feminine form of Paul, from the Latin paulus, meaning "small" or "humble", the name the apostle took after his conversion. Saint Paula of Rome, a 4th-century companion of Saint Jerome, gave it a long Christian history, and it is a classic in Spain, Germany and Latin America. Paula was number 574 in 2000 and has held a place in the US top 1000 ever since, ranking number 855 among girls in 2025.