Show ContentsPaulin History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The prominent surname Paulin 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 Paulin is derived from the Latin name "Paulus," meaning "small."

Early Origins of the Paulin family

The surname Paulin 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 Paulin family

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

Paulin 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 Paulin family

Notable amongst the family at this time was

  • Alexandre Paulin, French writer (1793-1859)

Paulin Ranking

In the United States, the name Paulin is the 8,260th most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Paulin is ranked the 1,558th most popular surname with an estimated 3,812 people with that name. 2


United States Paulin migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Paulin Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Alexander Paulin, who landed in New England in 1712 3
Paulin Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • D. Paulin settled in San Francisco, California in 1852
  • Pierre Paulin, who arrived in Puerto Rico in 1886 3

New Zealand Paulin migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Paulin Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Paulin, Australian settler travelling from Sydney aboard the ship "Easby" arriving in Port Chalmers, Otago, New Zealand on 6th December 1874 4

Contemporary Notables of the name Paulin (post 1700) +

  • Scott Paulin (b. 1950), American actor and television director
  • Wayne Paulin, American politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania 32nd District, 1924 5
  • George W. Paulin, American Republican politician, Member of Illinois Republican State Central Committee, 1910-19 5
  • Emery D. Paulin, American politician, Representative from Ohio 13th District, 1904 5
  • Amy Paulin, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly 88th District, 2001- 5
  • Pierre Paulin, French designer and architect in Paris
  • Viveca Paulin (b. 1969), Swedish actress
  • Tom Paulin (b. 1949), Northern Irish poet and critic
  • Jean-Baptiste Paulin Guérin (1783-1855), French painter
  • Alexis Paulin Paris (1800-1881), French scholar, author and Professor


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. 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)
  4. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  5. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 22) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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