Paulette
Girl name · #1535 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Paulette? In official American birth records, Paulette has been tracked continuously since 1907, giving it 118 years of documented American history.
Paulette is currently the #1535 girl name in the United States — 138 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #2039, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 13,043 girls born in 2025 was named Paulette.
The 118-year story
Paulette first appears in the Social Security records in 1907, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1948, when 2,579 girls were named Paulette — good for #123 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Paulette per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Paulette against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Paulette in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Paulette is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Paulette will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Paulette is most common
Geography matters for names, and Paulette is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Paulette is most common in AZ (0.6 per 1,000), TX (0.2 per 1,000), CA (0.1 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.1 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Paulette is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Paulette
Statistically, parents drawn to Paulette tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Annette, Jeanette, Bernadette, Georgette, and Yvette.
AnnetteJeanetteBernadetteGeorgetteYvetteLynetteColletteJosette
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Paulette | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 138 | #1534 |
| 2024 | 159 | #1406 |
| 2023 | 135 | #1569 |
| 2022 | 131 | #1612 |
| 2021 | 127 | #1641 |
| 2020 | 124 | #1654 |
| 2019 | 131 | #1614 |
| 2018 | 101 | #1953 |
| 2017 | 70 | #2530 |
| 2016 | 78 | #2385 |
| 2015 | 96 | #2039 |
| 2014 | 84 | #2236 |
| 2013 | 95 | #2032 |
| 2012 | 85 | #2205 |
| 2011 | 130 | #1646 |
| 2010 | 140 | #1569 |
| 2009 | 45 | #3561 |
| 2008 | 46 | #3529 |
| 2007 | 61 | #2930 |
| 2006 | 33 | #4358 |
| 2005 | 35 | #4029 |
| 2004 | 30 | #4492 |
| 2003 | 41 | #3472 |
| 2002 | 37 | #3595 |
| 2001 | 31 | #4025 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Paulette?
In official American birth records, the name Paulette first appeared in 1907 (over 118 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 118 years.
Is Paulette a popular girl name?
Paulette ranked #1535 among girls in 2025 with 138 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #2039.
When was the name Paulette most popular?
Paulette peaked in 1948, when 2,579 American girls received the name (ranked #123 that year). Since 1948 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Paulette?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 13,043 newborn American girls was named Paulette. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.