Boy name · Latin
Paul
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: small, humblePaul is a boy's name that comes from Latin and means "small, humble". It is used in English, French, German and Dutch.
- Meaning
- Small, humble
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #262 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Paul
As a boy's name, Paul comes from Latin and means "small, humble". It is used in English, French, German and Dutch.
In French, say POHL. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Paul is also a surname: the 396th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 80,097 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Paul on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Paul on 6 lists.
“Small, humble; Latin. Apostle who wrote many epistles”
From Biblical names, names from the Gospels and Acts
“Small, humble; Latin. Crisp one-syllable classic”
From Boy middle names, classic boy middle names
“Small; Latin. The apostle and letter writer”
From Classic boy names, timeless boy names
“Small, humble; Latin. Say POHL”
From French boy names, popular French boys' names right now
“After the famous octopus who picked World Cup winners”
From Octopus names, celebrity octopus names
“Small, humble; Latin. A steady German favorite, in the 2025 top 10”
From German boy names, popular German boy names
How popular is Paul?
- US rank in 2025
- #262
- 1,316 babies, 770 per million boys
- Best rank
- #12 in 1916
- Most babies: 27,012 in 1957
- Babies since 1880
- At least 1,398,293
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 3,831 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 7,170 per million |
| 1900s | 9,308 per million |
| 1910s | 11,717 per million |
| 1920s | 12,014 per million |
| 1930s | 11,903 per million |
| 1940s | 12,317 per million |
| 1950s | 12,524 per million |
| 1960s | 12,589 per million |
| 1970s | 8,258 per million |
| 1980s | 5,656 per million |
| 1990s | 3,025 per million |
| 2000s | 1,551 per million |
| 2010s | 1,012 per million |
| 2020s | 784 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #206 | #225 | #234 | #245 | #252 | #257 | #262 | #256 | #262 | #262 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Other forms of Paul
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
Names spelled like Paul
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- PacoFrenchman (Latin, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- PaulinaSmall (Latin, girl)
- PaulaSmall, humble (Latin, girl)
- PaulineSmall, humble (Latin, girl)
- PaolaSmall, humble (Latin, girl)
- AdvaSmall ripple (Hebrew, girl)
- BrookeSmall stream (Old English, girl)
- BrooksSmall streams (Old English, boy)
- DiyaSmall oil lamp (Hindi, girl)
- GianpaoloGod is gracious and humble (Hebrew and Latin, boy)
- Jean-PaulGod is gracious, plus small (Hebrew and Latin, boy)
Middle names for Paul
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Latin
Paul: common questions
What does the name Paul mean?
Paul comes from Latin and means "small, humble".
Is Paul a boy or girl name?
Paul is mainly a boy's name.
Where does the name Paul come from?
Paul comes from Latin and means "small, humble". Today it is used in English, French, German and Dutch.
How popular is the name Paul?
Paul ranked #262 in the US in 2025, with 1,316 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of Paul?
Forms of Paul with the same meaning and origin include Pablo (Spanish), Paolo (Italian), Pau (Spanish), Paulo (Portuguese) and Pavel (Russian).
What middle names go with Paul?
Middle names that flow well with Paul include Benedict, Cedar, Conrad, Cooper and Drake. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.