Paul: Meaning, origin and popularity

Pronounced PAWL · 1 syllable

Paul means “small”, from Latin.

From Latin Paulus, from paulus (“small”). Doublet of Pablo and Paolo.

How popular is Paul?

Paul was the #262 name in the US in 2025, given to 1,316 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 34% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1960.

Babies named Paul in the US by five-year period, relative to its peak (around 1960).

Half of US adults named Paul are older than 61; most are between 30 and 83. (Estimated from US births by year and life tables.)

Names that real brothers and sisters of people named Paul have, from family records on Wikidata, most common first.

Chosen by the same families or with a similar style and era.

Paul means “small”. It comes from Latin.

Paul is pronounced PAWL.

Paul was the #262 name in the US in 2025, given to 1,316 babies. It’s used less than it was: down 34% on 2011–2015. It peaked around 1960.

Half of US adults named Paul are older than 61. Most are between 30 and 83.