2000
#17,323
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,504
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.56
Rare Last name
Paula
A surname derived from the Latin word "paulus" meaning "little" or "small".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,100 Americans carry the last name Paula. That puts it at #15,422 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 163,216 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Paula surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 163,216
Census rank
#15,422
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,831 bearers of the surname Paula in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15422nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Paula, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.0%. The next largest groups are White (28.2%) and Black (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Paula
The surname Paula has its origins in Italy, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "paulus," which means "small" or "humble." The name was initially used as a nickname for someone of short stature or as a reference to a person's modest demeanor.
In the 12th century, the surname Paula appeared in historical records from the region of Tuscany, specifically in the city of Florence. One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in a 1235 manuscript from the Florentine archives, which mentions a landowner named Paulus de Paula.
As the name spread across Italy, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Paola, Pauli, and Paulis. Some of these variations were influenced by local dialects and pronunciations.
During the Renaissance period, the surname Paula gained prominence in the city of Naples. One notable figure was Gian Paolo Paula (1470-1537), a renowned architect and sculptor who contributed to the design of several churches and palaces in Naples.
In the 17th century, the name Paula was associated with the Paula family, a noble lineage from the Italian city of Siena. This family produced several influential figures, including Cardinal Fabrizio Paula (1598-1659), who served as a diplomat and advisor to Pope Urban VIII.
Another notable bearer of the surname was Girolamo Paula (1720-1785), an Italian writer and philosopher from the city of Verona. He is best known for his work "Trattato sulla Felicità" (Treatise on Happiness), which explored the concept of happiness and its pursuit.
Outside of Italy, the surname Paula found its way to other parts of Europe and the Americas through immigration. One prominent individual was Francisco de Paula Santander (1792-1840), a Colombian military leader and statesman who played a crucial role in the Spanish American wars of independence.
In the United States, the surname Paula can be traced back to Italian immigrants who arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One notable figure was Frank Paula (1889-1948), a renowned architect from New York City who designed several iconic buildings, including the New York Public Library's main branch.
Overall, the surname Paula has a rich history rooted in Italian culture and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including architects, writers, philosophers, and political figures, leaving an indelible mark on the tapestry of global heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Paula
Among Census respondents with the surname Paula, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.0%. The next largest groups are White (28.2%) and Black (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Paula bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Paula surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino65.0% · 1,191
- White28.2% · 516
- Black or African American4.2% · 77
- Two or more races1.4% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Paula
Paula appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#18,106
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,538
+34 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Down 783 places
2020
#15,422
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,831
+293 bearers (+19.1%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 2,684 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #17,323 | 1,504 | 0.56 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,106 | 1,538 | 0.52 | +34 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 783 places |
| 2020 | #15,422 | 1,831 | 0.61 | +293 bearers (+19.1%) | Up 2,684 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Paula surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #18,106 | #15,422 | 14.8% |
| Count | 1,538 | 1,831 | 19.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.52 | 0.61 | 17.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Paula bearers went from 1,538 to 1,831 (+19.1% change). The surname moved up 2,684 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,106 to #15,422.
FAQ
Paula surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Paula?
Name Census estimates that about 2,100 living Americans carry the surname Paula. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 163,216 residents.
How common is Paula?
Paula ranks #15,422 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,831 people with the surname Paula. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,100), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Paula.
Has Paula become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Paula went from 1,538 recorded bearers to 1,831. That is an increase of 293 (+19.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,106 to #15,422.
What does the Census say about the background of Paula?
Among Census respondents with the surname Paula, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 65.0%. The next largest groups are White (28.2%) and Black (4.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Paula in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.0% (1,191 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Paula appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (65.0%), White (28.2%), Black (4.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Paula (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Paula mean?
A surname derived from the Latin word "paulus" meaning "little" or "small". The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Paula (0.61 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Paula?
Find out how many people are called Paula on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.