Paula History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
France

The prominent surname Paula originated in France, a country which has been a dominant presence in world affairs for centuries. The earliest forms of hereditary surnames in France were the patronymic surnames, which are derived from the father's given name, and metronymic surnames, which are derived from the mother's given name. The patronyms were derived from a variety of given names that were of many different origins. As well as the names of the saints of the Christian Church, many of the most common French surnames are derived from personal names of Germanic origin. They derive from the language of the Visigoths, who controlled France between the mid-5th and early 8th centuries. The name Paula is derived from the Latin name "Paulus," meaning "small."

Early Origins of the Paula family

The surname Paula was first found in Burgundy (French: Bourgogne), an administrative and historical region of east-central France, where the family was established in early times.

The family can be traced back to Jean Paulat, who was qualified as an equestrian riding master in 1558. This family formed alliances with other prominent families, such as the Montrichard de la Brosse, the Guines, and the Rougeot families. The fiefs in the family's possession were la Tour in Jarreto, Montarvaux and la Faye.

Early History of the Paula family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Paula research. The years 1691, 1793 and 1859 are included under the topic Early Paula History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Paula Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Paulette, Paulet, Paullet, Pauleau, Paulot, Paulaud, Paulat, Paulac, Paulon, Paulan, Paulhan, Paulin, Pauline, Paule, Paulent, Paulier and many more.

Early Notables of the Paula family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

Antoine de Paulat de la Tour, knight and lord of la Faye in Autun, Burgundy, in 1691

Paula migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Paula Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Francisco Paula, aged 40, who arrived in New Orleans, La in 1820 1
Pancho Paula, aged 28, who landed in New Orleans, La in 1820 1
Francisco De Paula, aged 43, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1837 1
Eva Paula, aged 44, who landed in New York, NY in 1875 1
John Paula, aged 50, who landed in New York, NY in 1875 1
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Paula (post 1700) +

María Paula Porras (b. 2002), Costa Rican footballer
Ana Paula Borgo (1993-2023), Brazilian indoor volleyball player, member of the Brazil women's national volleyball team in 2019
Ana Paula Scheffer (1989-2020), Brazilian individual rhythmic gymnast who competed at the 2009 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships
Dame Carolyn Paula Hamilton D.B.E. (b. 1951), born in Hendon, London, British Director for International Programmes and Research for Coram Children’s Legal Centre was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 17th June 2017, for services to Children’s Rights
Marlene Paula VerPlanck (1933-2018), née Pampinella, an American jazz and pop vocalist from Newark, New Jersey
Dame Paula Rego DBE (b. 1935), Portuguese visual artist
Paula Fairfield, American two-time Primetime Emmy Award winning sound engineer, known for her work on Game of Thrones (2011), Mother! (2017) and Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (2018)
Paula Weinstein (1945-2024), American film and television producer
Paula Murphy (1928-2023), American automobile driver, the first woman to drive a jet-engined car on the Salt Flats, first woman licensed to drive a nitromethane-fueled car
Paula Ximena Quintana Meléndez (1956-2023), Chilean sociologist, academic, and politician, Councilor of Valparaíso (2012-2016)

Citations +

Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)