Paul
Meaning of Paul
Rooted in the Latin paulus, meaning “small” or “humble,” the name Paul entered the Anglo-American lexicon through early Christian texts, where the apostle Saint Paul—missionary, theologian, and prolific letter-writer—cemented its theological gravitas and intellectual aura. Over centuries, the name’s concise, one-syllable structure proved adaptable across Germanic and Romance languages, yet in English it has remained phonetically stable as “pawl.” Historical usage data reveal a peak in U.S. popularity during the mid-20th century—when it consistently ranked within the national Top 50—followed by a gradual, statistically smooth descent to its present position near the mid-200s, a trajectory characteristic of classic names transitioning from mainstream vogue to perennial standby. Cultural references as disparate as Revolutionary courier Paul Revere and British composer-performer Sir Paul McCartney illustrate the name’s capacity to straddle spheres of civic valor and artistic innovation, reinforcing an image of disciplined intellect tempered by creative reach. Consequently, Paul appeals to parents seeking a time-honored, doctrinally resonant choice that balances scholarly restraint with understated distinction.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as pawl (/pɔl/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Paul
| Paul McCartney is an English musician best known as the Beatles bassist and co lead singer and songwriter with John Lennon, celebrated for melodic bass lines, a versatile tenor, and genre spanning work. |
| Paul Gauguin was a French Post Impressionist and Symbolist artist whose experimental color, Synthetist style, and influential woodcuts earned lasting fame despite modest success in his lifetime. |
| Paul Robeson was an American bass baritone singer, actor, pro football player, and activist celebrated for his artistry and political activism. |
| Paul Kelly is an acclaimed Australian singer, songwriter, and guitarist whose long career spans solo work and bands, blending folk, rock, and country to chronicle Australian life. |
| Paul Krugman is an American New Keynesian economist and Nobel laureate, a Distinguished Professor at the CUNY Graduate Center and former New York Times columnist known for pioneering new trade theory and new economic geography. |
| Paul Cézanne - Paul Cezanne was a French Post Impressionist painter who bridged Impressionism and Cubism and helped shape early twentieth century art. |
| Paul Pogba is a French central midfielder for Monaco in Ligue 1. |
| Paul Allen was an American entrepreneur and programmer who cofounded Microsoft with his childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, helped spark the microcomputer revolution, and died in 2018 among the richest Americans with a fortune near 20 billion dollars. |
| Paul Scholes is an English pundit and coach best known as a legendary Manchester United midfielder who spent his entire career there, scored over 150 goals, and won 25 trophies including 11 Premier League titles. |
| Paul Newman was an American actor, director, racing driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur who won an Academy Award and many other major honors. |
| Paul Simon is an American singer songwriter and guitarist, renowned for his solo work and as half of Simon and Garfunkel, whose folk rock shaped the 1960s counterculture and yielded one of the best selling albums ever, Bridge over Troubled Water. |
| Paul Dirac was a British theoretical physicist who helped found quantum mechanics, laid the foundations of quantum electrodynamics and quantum field theory, and served as Lucasian Professor at Cambridge before joining Florida State University. |
| Paul Morphy was an American chess prodigy of the late 1850s, hailed as the best in the world and later seen as far ahead of his time. |
| Paul Erdős - Paul Erdos was a Hungarian mathematician, one of the most prolific of the 20th century, who advanced discrete math and Ramsey theory and published about 1500 papers. |
