The invention provides a paging method and a paging system so as to solve the problems that a multi media extension (MME) sends a paging request to all base stations in a terminal adaptor (TA) list so that a large number of paging resources are used, and network performance is reduced. The paging method includes receiving downlink services, analyzing an identification of target user equipment through a downlink service signaling; selecting N tracking areas from a preset tracking area list which corresponds to the identification, and sending out the paging request to base stations in the N tracking areas, wherein the N is a positive integer; and judging whether a receiving paging request response of the target user equipment within a preset first time, if receiving the paging request response, then ensuring the paging successful. If not receiving the paging request response, then respectively sending the paging request to rest base stations in rest tracking areas in the tracking area list. The paging method and the paging system can effectively save paging resources, reduces the number of paging requests, and reduces influence on the network performance.