Meaning and background
The story behind Pauly
Pauly has a documented surname history across several European languages. The Dictionary of American Family Names identifies a Latinized patronymic based on Pauli, the genitive form of Paulus, and separately records English variation of Pauley. Those routes concern family-name formation rather than simply an informal modern spelling of Paul. Earlier family records would help distinguish them when an owner intends to honor a particular Pauly.
- Origin
- Continental European patronymic based on Latin Pauli, from Paulus; English examples vary Pauley. Source
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About Pauly
Recorded as a dog’s name
Pauly appears in 7 dog licence records in the 2022 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
/pɔli/
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
/pɔli/ · primary stress on syllable 1P AO1 L IY0
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.