Saul

Saul - A very unique male name

Saul appeared on the charts for the first time in 1910 on position #361. In this article you'll learn the history of this name, statistics, see famous people named Saul and more.
Are you having a baby or looking to learn more about the name Saul? 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 Saul. The baby boy name Saul was given to 478 baby boys in 2025, ranking #574 on the national boy baby name top chart.


With that position 1 in 3,068 baby boys were given this name - making this a very unique male name according to our Popularity Score algorithm. Saul peaked in popularity 29 years ago in 1997 on position 273.

Famous with this name

How would you rate Saul, 1-5?

Saul is currently topping the charts in...

Did you know that popularity can vary a lot between states? Saul is currently topping the baby name charts in Arizona at position #256 - and is the least popular in North Carolina at position #1,434.

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 Saul is where you live.

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Saul origin and meaning

Hebrew

Asked for; from Hebrew Sha'ul, 'asked for, prayed for'

Saul was the first king of Israel in the Bible, and the original Hebrew name of the apostle Paul. It has been in continuous American use since 1910, peaked in 2006, and is holding roughly steady.

Attested etymology

Saul is a 4 letter name with 1 syllables.

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

Similar to Saul

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

Shiloh / Sol / Shaquille / Sal / Sahil / Saleh / Shaul / Shelly / Shilo / Saulo /

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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 Saul

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 Saul 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 Saul?

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

SAWL · /sɔl/

Around the world

• Saúl (Spanish) — Spanish form with accent, pronounced sah-OOL

Famous bearers

• Saul Bellow — American novelist, Nobel Prize winner (1915–2005) Contemporary
• Saul — First king of Israel in the Bible (Biblical) Historical

Style

BiblicalClassicInternational

Why parents choose it

Parents choose Saul for its biblical gravity in one strong syllable. It feels serious, warm, and refreshingly uncommon.

Worth knowing

• Pronunciation splits in Spanish-influenced use — SAWL vs. sah-OOL