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Name at a glance

Paul

Paul is a Latin name usually understood to mean small or humble.

Ranked #262 in US baby names in 2025, peaked at #12 in 1916, stable over the past 5 years.

Paul is one of the most important New Testament names because of the apostle's missionary work, letters, and influence on Christian theology.

Browse namesRead Paul's story
OriginLatin
GenderBoy
FeelApostolic
PronunciationPAWL

Is Paul biblical?

Yes

Biblical status Direct biblical person

Paul is a named person in Scripture, the apostle to the Gentiles introduced in Acts and author of much of the New Testament.

Is Paul a Christian name?

Yes

Christian tradition Foundational, across traditions

Paul is venerated as Saint Paul the Apostle across Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, and Lutheran traditions and used across Christian cultures for centuries.

Plain answer

Paul is one of the central New Testament apostles and a foundational Christian name honored across all major traditions.

Confidence High Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Paul

Paul comes from the Latin Paulus, usually understood as small or humble. In the New Testament, Paul is also known by the Hebrew name Saul.

Sound

How to pronounce Paul

Phonetic
PAWL
IPA
/pɔːl/

1 syllable · stress: PAWL · ends in a consonant

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Paulo
  • Pablo
  • Paulus
  • Paolo
  • Paavo
  • Paulinus
  • Pavel

Short forms and nicknames

  • Pauly

Languages

Paul in other languages

Greek
ΠαῦλοςPaulos
Latin
Paulus
Spanish
Pablo
French
Paul
German
Paul
Italian
Paolo
Portuguese
Paulo
Russian
ПавелPavel
Polish
Paweł
Arabic
بُولُسBulus

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Paul's letters became a central part of the New Testament. Christian readers associate the name with conversion, mission, church planting, theology, endurance, and grace.

Scripture

The biblical figure

Paul begins as Saul of Tarsus, a persecutor of the church, and becomes one of the most important apostles. His journeys and letters shaped early Christian communities across the Mediterranean world.

Read the full story of Paul in the Bible

Bearers

Notable people named Paul

  • biblical

    Paul the ApostlePharisee turned apostle to the Gentiles, traditional author of thirteen of the New Testament letters, originally named Saul of Tarsus

  • historical

    Pope Paul VIPope from 1963 to 1978, presided over the close of the Second Vatican Council, 1897 to 1978

  • historical

    Paul TillichGerman-American existentialist theologian, author of The Courage to Be, 1886 to 1965

  • historical

    Paul CézanneFrench Post-Impressionist painter, 1839 to 1906

  • historical

    Paul NewmanAmerican actor, director, and founder of the Newman's Own food brand, 1925 to 2008

  • modern

    Paul SimonAmerican singer-songwriter, half of Simon and Garfunkel, born 1941

  • modern

    Paul McCartneyEnglish singer-songwriter and bassist of the Beatles, born 1942

  • modern

    Paul RuddAmerican actor known for the Ant-Man films and Clueless, born 1969

Saint

Saint Paul the Apostle

Traditions
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran
Patron of
writers, journalists, public relations, missions, theologians

Paul is celebrated jointly with Peter in the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, and the Conversion of Paul is a separate feast. Paul's tomb is venerated at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome.

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Paul has been used across Christian traditions for centuries. It is short, serious, international, and strongly connected with apostolic Christianity.

Recent US use

Paul in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#262
Peak rank
#12 in 1916
Recent trend
stable over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
146 (since 1880)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

Sibling fit

Sibling name suggestions

Pairings

Names paired with Paul

  • Peterco-apostle

    Paul and Peter are venerated together as founders of the Roman church; they share a joint solemnity.

  • Barnabasmissionary companion

    Barnabas brings Paul into the Jerusalem church and accompanies him on the first missionary journey in Acts 13-14.

For families

For families looking at Paul

For a Christian family, Paul is concise and deeply historic. It feels less decorative than many biblical names, but its association is exceptionally strong.

Common questions

What does Paul mean?

Paul comes from Latin and is usually understood to mean small or humble.

Is Paul a biblical name?

Yes. Paul is the apostle whose letters make up a major part of the New Testament.

Is Paul a Christian name?

Yes. Paul is one of the most important and widely used Christian boy names.

Sources

Sources for Paul

  • The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, E. G. Withycombe (3rd edition)Supports: Latin etymology (Paulus, small or humble); meaning.
  • Acts, King James Version (KJV 1769)Supports: biblical figure (apostle, Acts 13:9).
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, David Hugh Farmer (5th edition)Supports: Saint Paul the Apostle (Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran); feast day (June 29, joint solemnity with Peter).

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

JohnBoth Paul and John are major New Testament writers; Paul's letters and John's Gospel/epistles/Revelation together form the bulk of the NT after the Gospels and Acts.MatthewMatthew's Gospel and Paul's letters together form roughly half the New Testament's instructional material; both rely heavily on Old Testament citation.LukeLuke is Paul's traveling companion (Colossians 4:14, 2 Timothy 4:11) and the author of Acts, which records much of Paul's ministry.