Paulette

Paulette is a French feminine form in the Paul name family, ultimately from Latin paulus, meaning “small.” The -ette ending is a familiar French diminutive formation. It creates an affectionate feminine name rather than adding a separate new concept to the older Latin meaning.

Pauline and Paula belong to the same wider family but follow different formations. Paulette can honor a Paul while preserving a traditionally French feminine form. Its English-speaking associations often reflect the period when French names ending in -ette were especially familiar, alongside Annette and Claudette. Those names share a style and ending, however, not the same root, so their meanings should not be transferred to Paulette.