How to say it
PAUL
/pɔl/
Masculine
Paul
Small, humble
What it means
Latin Paulus, 'small' or 'humble.' A plain, grounded name with two thousand years of weight behind it.
Paul comes from the Roman cognomen Paulus, 'small' or 'humble.' The Apostle Paul, born Saul of Tarsus, took the name and carried it to the center of Christianity, which made it one of Europe's bedrock names for two millennia. It runs through every Western language as Paolo, Pablo, Pavel, and Paulo. Paul McCartney kept it modern; US use has cooled from its mid-century peak, but it never goes truly out.
Popularity over time
peaked at #12 in 1916, currently #262 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Pop culture
The Apostle Paul anchors the religious side; Paul McCartney and Paul Newman anchor the everyday one.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Apostle Paul early Christian missionary and letter-writer
- Paul McCartney Beatles songwriter and bassist
- Paul Newman American actor and philanthropist
Spelling variants
- Paolo
- Pablo
- Pavel
- Paulo
Names with the same feeling
See Paul from another angle
By style