Pauly
A diminutive form of the masculine name Paul, derived from Latin Paulus meaning "small" or "humble".
Name Census estimates that about 11 living Americans carry the first name Pauly. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Pauly today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pauly births was 2019 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pauly. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Pauly. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
11
~ 1 in 31,159,485 Americans
Peak year
2019
6 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,816
Tracked since 2019
Popularity
Pauly: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pauly from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 6 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pauly by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Pauly during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pauly
The name Pauly is a diminutive form of the male given name Paul, which has its origins in the ancient Roman family name Paulus. The name Paulus itself is derived from the Latin word "paulus," meaning "small" or "humble." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone of small stature or humble beginnings.
The name Paul gained significant importance in the Christian tradition, as it was the name adopted by the apostle formerly known as Saul of Tarsus. After his conversion, he became one of the most influential figures in the early spread of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire. The name Paul is mentioned numerous times in the New Testament, particularly in the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline epistles.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the diminutive form Pauly can be found in medieval German records, where it was commonly used as a nickname or shortened version of Paul. This variation gained popularity in various regions of Europe, particularly in German-speaking areas.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Pauly. One prominent example is Pauly Shore (born 1968), an American actor and comedian known for his roles in films such as "Encino Man" and "Son in Law." Another well-known Pauly is Pauly D (born 1980), an American television personality and DJ best known for his appearance on the reality show "Jersey Shore."
In the realm of literature, Pauly Karp (1922-2016) was an American author and playwright, renowned for his plays "The Derelicts" and "The Burglar." The world of sports has also seen notable figures with the name Pauly, such as Pauly Perrault (1919-2009), a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Montreal Canadiens in the 1940s.
Another individual worth mentioning is Pauly Ellering (born 1926), an American professional wrestler and manager who gained fame in the 1970s and 1980s as part of the tag team "The Blond Bombers" and later as a manager for various wrestlers.
While these are just a few examples, the name Pauly has been present throughout history, spanning various cultures and professions, reflecting its enduring appeal and versatility as a diminutive form of the more traditional name Paul.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Pauly
People
Pauly + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pauly as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pauly: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pauly?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 11 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pauly going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 31,159,485 US residents.
Is Pauly a common name?
We classify Pauly as "Very Rare". It ranks above 30.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pauly most popular?
The single biggest year for Pauly was 2019, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pauly is about 6 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pauly a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pauly in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.