Paul

Paul - A very unique male name

Paul appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #15. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Paul and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Paul? Our experts and editorial staff have gathered trends and insights for 30,000+ baby names over the last 100 years -- And on this page you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the name Paul. The baby boy name Paul was given to 1,298 baby boys in 2025, ranking #262 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 1,130 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Paul peaked in popularity 110 years ago in 1916 on position 12.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Paul, 1-5?

Paul is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Paul is currently topping the baby name charts in New Hampshire at position #119 - and is the least popular in Oklahoma at position #449.

Why care about state specific baby name charts? It could be that a name that is very popular on the national overall charts is less (or even more) popular where you live. So make sure you check out the state specific charts below and find out how popular or unique Paul is where you live.

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Paul origin and meaning

Latin (Roman surname)

"Small, humble" — from Latin paulus, "small"

Paul is the Roman family name Paulus, carried into every European language by Saint Paul, the apostle who shaped early Christianity. It was an American fixture for a century, peaking in 1957, and has receded to a quiet classic used steadily ever since.

Attested etymology

Paul is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

To see famous people named Paul, pop culture references for the name Paul and nicknames & variations - visit Nameberry or Wikipedia.

Similar to Paul

We've found the following names that sound similar to Paul, sorted by popularity.

Pablo / Phil / Paulo / Paolo / Pavel / Pawel / Polo / Paula / Paola / Paublo /

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Name statistics

Most parents-to-be know if they want a popular or unique name, and with these charts and data tables you can easily get a better understanding of how popular or unique this name is.

With a quick glance you can easily tell if this name is increasing or declining in popularity - But note that its current popularity can actually differ a lot from state to state.

Chart position per year (visualized)

Chart position per state (visualized)

Chart position per year (table view)

Chart position per state (table view)

Even more about Paul

These are some of the common questions you may want to have answered to know if this is the perfect name for your baby.

Is Paul a common or unique name?

By analyzing the number of births and frequency of this name we've determined that it's currently a very unique male name.

What is the number of syllables for the name Paul?

1 syllables. Why is this important? One of the things that makes a baby name sound good and have a nice rythm is the number of syllables - and especially the number of syllables along with the syllable count for your last name. A simple rule is to avoid having the same number of syllables in your first, middle and last name.

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Pronunciation

PAWL · /pɔːl/

Around the world

• Pablo (Spanish) — The Spanish form of the name
• Paolo (Italian) — The Italian form
• Paul (German) — Used as-is in German
• Paul (French) — Used as-is in French

Spellings and nicknames

Nicknames: Paulie

Famous bearers

• Paul the Apostle — Apostle whose letters form much of the New Testament (Biblical) Historical
• Paul Newman — Actor and philanthropist (1925–2008) Contemporary
• Paul McCartney — Singer, songwriter, and Beatle (b. 1942) Contemporary

Style

BiblicalClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

Parents who pick Paul now value its utter solidity — an apostle's name, a Beatle's name, one syllable that has never sounded foolish in two thousand years.

Worth knowing

• Its 1957 peak makes it a grandfather-generation name in most American ears.
• The international forms (Pablo, Paolo) are different enough that travel introduces him under new names.