Pauline is Mario’s girlfriend in the original 1981 Donkey Kong arcade. Shigeru Miyamoto initially planned to use Popeye characters in the game, but since he was unable to obtain the license, he changed Olive Oyl to Pauline, though some of the inspiration is still present.
A famous bearer, Pauline Kael (June 19, 1919 – September 3, 2001), was an American film critic from 1951 to 1991. From 1968 to 1991, she wrote for "The New Yorker Magazine".