Given name & surname

Paul

“small”·“a small or humble man”

Paul is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “small” and “a small or humble man” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions.

Original LatinPaulus

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Meaning & origin

What it means

Interpretations include “small” and “a small or humble man” (Latin). These may reflect different naming traditions.

Where it comes from

An origin associated with this spelling is Latin.

How it developed

In Cebuano usage, Paul developed from Paulus.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

In the Bible

In the Bible, the name Paul appears in Acts 13:7, Acts 13:13, Acts 21:39 and 8 other passages.

Acts 13:7
Acts 13:13
Acts 21:39
Acts 13:9
Genesis 17:5
Genesis 17:15
Acts 9:3
Acts 13:11
Acts 9:9
Acts 23:11
Acts 25:12

From biblical name research

Paul through the years

Babies since 1880: 1,404,135; 1,398,293 boys · 5,842 girls
Most popular year: 1957; 27,076 babies
2025: 1,316; #262 for boys
2021–25 vs 2016–20: −18%; Easing

Paul in U.S. Social Security birth records, 1880–2025, per million boys born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

Where it’s given

Most at home inKentucky, Utah, Pennsylvania

FewerMore, relative to births Not published

2025 births by state of birth. Tiles are equal-sized so small states stay visible. Highest rates: Kentucky (28), Utah (22), Pennsylvania (59), Ohio (59), Washington (36).

By the numbers

In 2025, this name appeared in 1,316 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 262 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 17.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 27,012 in 1957. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (132). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 907,225 as a first name in 2020; 80,097 as a surname in 2020.

From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.

Paul’s family of names

Paul has an affectionate form in Pasha. Paul has a feminine form in Paula. In English usage, Paul has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Pablo.

Walk Paul’s family in the name graph

Around the world

Paul has relatives in 69 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.

Latinwhere Paul comes from · 1 name

Paulus

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 57

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

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Spellings & scripts 3

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Across languages 79

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

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And 19 more.

People named Paul

Characters named Paul: Paul Bunyan (North American folklore character), Paul Atreides (Dune), Paul Kellerman (fictional character), Paul Phoenix (Tekken).

Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.

Appears in

Similar names

If you love Paul, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Greek · Timeless

Sibling ideas

Names that share Paul’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

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