Paul

Paul is a male first name that is internationally widespread and has its roots in Latin. The name derives from the Roman surname Paulus, which means "small" in German.

What does the name Paul mean?

The name Paul is often translated as "the small" or "the younger." Its roots can be traced back to the Latin word parvus or paulus, which means "small," "insignificant," "tiny," and "humble." Numerous saints bore the name Paul or its origin, Paulus, including the Apostle Paul (Paulus of Tarsus) and Saint Paul of Thebes. In the Middle Ages, the veneration of saints contributed to the spread of the name. In Germany, Paul is considered a timeless boy's name that was particularly popular from the 19th century until the mid-20th century. After a slight decline starting in the 1970s, the name experienced a revival from the 1990s onwards. Since the turn of the millennium, Paul has become one of the most sought-after boy's names, benefiting from several trends, such as a preference for old German names, short first names, and internationally understandable names. Besides German, Paul is also widely used in English and French-speaking regions. In other languages, the name appears as Pablo (Spanish), Paulo (Portuguese), and Paolo (Italian). It is also encountered in Russian and Polish as Pawel and Paweł, respectively.

Where does the name Paul come from?

The name Paul has its roots in Latin and Roman origins and means "the small" or "the younger." The Latin origin is the word parvus or paulus, which means "small, insignificant, tiny, humble." The name is present in Old German, Biblical, German, English, and French languages.

How do you pronounce Paul?

The name Paul is perceived as monosyllabic and sonorous in German pronunciation. Typically, it is pronounced as "Paul" [paʊ̯l], where the diphthong "au" provides an open and broad sound, and the final "l" offers a gentle conclusion. Paul radiates timeless calm and harmony.

When is the name day of Paul?

Paul has numerous name days that are celebrated, including January 10 (Paulus of Thebes), January 25 (Feast of the Conversion of Paul), February 6 (Paul Miki), June 26 (John and Paul), June 29 (Apostle Paul), and October 19 (Paul of the Cross).

Popularity

Paul has a long and varied history as a male first name in Germany. Since 1880, it has been among the most common first names for many years and regularly ranked among the top placements until the early decades of the 20th century. Notably, it reached 4th place in 1904, highlighting the significance of the name during that time.

Nicknames & pet names

Arshpaul / Baul / Bolle / Brauereigaul / Culopaul / Fartingpaul / Faul / FaulerPaul / Fpau / Furzpaul / Gaul / Haltsmaul / Honk / Käsepaul / Maul / Maulaff / Pablo / Palermo / PalimPalim / Palino / Palu / Panther / Paola / Paolo / Pascha / Patschi / Pau-lee / Paui / Paula / Paulaff / Paulana / Paulaner / Paulant / Paularsch / Paulator / Paulberger / Paulchen / Paule / Paule aule kraule / Paulebaer / Paulee / Paulemann / Paulemaule / Paulemaus / Paulemeister / Paulemon / Paulemäuschen / Paulenzen / Paulepaul / Pauleplatsch / Paulepopo / Paulette / Pauley / Pauli / Paulibaer / Paulichen / Paulii / Paulikopter / Paulilauli / Paulilein / Paulina / Paulinchen / Pauline / Paulinho / Paulino / Paulinsche / Paulipaul / Paulisher / Paulmann / Paulo / Paulobert / Paulpanzer / Paulsche / Paulschen / Paulschka / Paultaschen / Paultschgo / Paulus / Paulwurf / Pauly / Pauw / Pavel / Pawlik / Peil / Peterundpaul / Peul / Pfau / Pi / PickelPaul / Pocke / Pogba / Polenski / Polka / Polle / Poller / Polly / Polo / Popel / Porky / Powlchen / Puil / Pulle / Pullemulleman / Pullerman / Pål / Pöbel / Pöhl / Pökel / Pöyal / Pöyl / Pülleken / Raul / Sachsenpaule / Sackpaul / Saul / St Pauli / Stinkepaul / Vollpaul / Waul / Waup / Zwergpaul

Similar first names

Paulus, Pavel

Famous people

• Saint Paul of the Cross (Italian founder of a religious order (17th/18th century))
• Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin (French painter)
• Hans Paul Heinrich Walter (Botanist from Germany)
• Jean-Paul Aube (Artist from France)
• Johannes Paul II (Pope)
• Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes (Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church, President of the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum')
• Paul (character) (Character from the fairy tale film 'The Tale of the Land of Cockaigne (2016)')
• Paul Adelstein (American actor)
• Paul Adler (German actor)
• Paul Bäumer (Character from the novel/film 'All Quiet on the Western Front')
• Paul Biedermann (Swimmer)
• Paul Breitner (Footballer from Germany)
• Paul Butcher (Actor (Zoey101))
• Paul Cézanne (French painter)
• Paul Codrea (Footballer/Romania)
• Paul Connor (American actor)
• Paul Cullen (Rugby player from Great Britain)
• Paul David Hewson (Singer of U2, known as Bono)
• Paul de Villier (Fictional character from Kerstin Gier's 'Ruby Red' trilogy)
• Paul the Lifeguard (Fictional character from a song)