Last updated: March 2026

Character Name

Paula

Meaning — The feminine form of Paul, derived from the Latin "Paulus" meaning "small" or "humble". The name was borne by Saint Paula of Rome (347–404), a wealthy Roman widow who became a close companion of Saint Jerome and founded monasteries in Bethlehem, making the name prestigious in the early Christian world. It became common in Germany, Scandinavia, and across Latin Europe.·Latin origin·Female·POW-lah

Paula Paula has a clean, unpretentious quality that works equally well in German-speaking, Scandinavian, and Romance-language contexts. Characters named Paula tend to be grounded, emotionally direct, and possessed of a quiet inner resourcefulness. The name suits contemporary heroines as well as historical figures in the post-Roman and medieval Christian world.

Best genres for Paula

Literary FictionContemporary FictionHistorical FictionRomance

Famous characters named Paula

No verified literary characters with this exact given name were found yet. We are continuously expanding this section.


Variations & nicknames

PaulaPaulinePaulinaPaola

Pairs well with

Paula HoffmannPaula SchneiderPaula BergerPaula KleinPaula RichterPaula Lang

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Related names


More Latin names

Joana

“The Portuguese and Catalan form of Joan, itself from the Latin Johanna, a feminine form of Joannes (John), derived from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning "God is gracious". The name shares its root with the Hebrew yhwh ("God") and chanan ("to be gracious"), and has been carried by queens, saints, and heroines across the Iberian world.”

Magnolia

“From the genus name Magnolia, the flowering tree named by the botanist Charles Plumier in honour of the French botanist Pierre Magnol (1638–1715). The word Magnolia is thus a Latinised form of the French surname Magnol, from the Occitan magno, related to the Latin magnus, "great." As a feminine given name, Magnolia is a floral name in the tradition of Violet, Lily, and Rose, used primarily in the American South, where the magnolia is the state flower of both Mississippi and Louisiana.”

Tony

“A diminutive of Anthony or Antonio, from the Latin Antonius — an ancient Roman family name of uncertain etymology, possibly Etruscan in origin. One influential (though not etymologically certain) derivation links it to the Greek anthos, "flower." The name was borne by Saint Anthony of Padua and Anthony the Great, cementing its importance across the Catholic world. Tony became a confident, familiar standalone name in English by the 20th century.”

Marty

“A diminutive of Martin, from the Latin Martinus derived from Martius meaning "of Mars" or "martial" — from Mars, the Roman god of war. Saint Martin of Tours (316–397), the French bishop famous for cutting his cloak in half to share with a beggar, made this one of the most beloved saints' names in medieval Western Christianity. The diminutive Marty became a common American given name.”

Romeo

“From the Italian Romeo, derived from the Medieval Latin Romaeus meaning "a pilgrim to Rome" or "Roman citizen", itself rooted in Roma (Rome). The name entered literary immortality when Luigi da Porto used it for his tragic hero in the 1524 story Giulietta e Romeo, later adapted by Shakespeare.”

Herminia

“The feminine form of Herminio/Herminus, from the Latin Arminius, the name of the Germanic tribal leader who destroyed three Roman legions in the Teutoburg Forest in 9 CE. The Latin Arminius possibly derives from the Germanic Irmin, an Irminic deity or heroic figure, related to the Proto-Germanic erminaz meaning "great, strong, whole".”


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