Meaning and background
The story behind Paula
Paula is the feminine form of Paulus, documented across many European languages. Behind the Name also identifies a fourth-century Roman saint and companion of Jerome as a bearer. Its reference pronunciations differ by language, so a family namesake can help establish the household's intended reading for a dog. The source supports the Paulus relationship and saintly history without requiring an invented separate root for the final -a.
- Origin
- Feminine form of Paulus, used in many languages; borne by a fourth-century Roman saint. Source
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About Paula
Recorded as a dog’s name
Paula appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2026 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/pɔlə/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the first syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/pɔlə/ · primary stress on syllable 1P AO1 L AH0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.