Paul (given name)

Paul
Paul the Apostle by El Greco
PronunciationEnglish: /pɔːl/ ⓘ PAWL
French: [pɔl] ⓘ
German: [paʊl] ⓘ
Dutch: [pʌul] ⓘ
GenderMale
Name dayJune 29
Origin
Language(s)Latin
Word/namePaulus, Paullus
Meaning"small" or "humble"
Region of originAncient Rome in the Italian Peninsula
Other names
Related namesPaulus, Pauli, Paulo, Paolo, Pablo, Paavo, Pavel, Paulin

Paul is a common Latin masculine given name in countries and ethnicities with a Christian heritage (Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism) and, beyond Europe, in Christian religious communities throughout the world. Paul – or its variations – can be a given name or surname.

Origin and diffusion

The name has existed since Roman times. It derives from the Roman family name Paulus or Paullus, from the Latin adjective meaning "small", "humble", "least" or "little" .[1][2] During the Classical Age it was used to distinguish the minor of two people of the same family bearing the same name. The Roman patrician family of the Gens Aemilia included such prominent persons as Lucius Aemilius Paullus, Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus, Lucius Aemilius Lepidus Paullus, Tertia Aemilia Paulla (the wife of Scipio Africanus), and Sergius Paulus.

Its prevalence in nations with a Christian heritage is primarily due to its attachment to Saint Paul the Apostle, whose Greek name was Παῦλος, Paûlos, a transliteration from the Latin, also carrying the "modest" meaning of this name, and chosen because of its similarity to his Jewish name Šaul. The name Paul is common, with variations, in all European languages.

Paul's popularity has varied. In the United States, the 1990 census shows it ranked the 13th most common (male) name;[3] however, Social Security Administration data shows Paul in the top 20 given names in 1968, after which it began a steady decline.[4]

The feminine versions are Paula, Pauline, Paulina, and Paulette.

Translations

Notable examples

Mononym

Listed chronologically

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

  • Paul Iacono (born 1988), American actor
  • Paul F. Iams (1915–2004), American founder of the Iams Company
  • Paul Ignatieff (1870–1945), Russian Imperial politician
  • Paul Ignatius (born 1920), American government official
  • Paul Ifill (born 1979), English former professional footballer
  • Paul Ince (born 1967), English international footballer
  • Paul Ingle (born 1972), British former professional boxer
  • Paul Ingram, American county Republican Party chairman accused by his children of child abuse
  • Paul Ioannidis (1924–2021), German-born Greek pilot, resistance fighter, and later shipping industry executive
  • Paul Ireland (born 1970), Scottish actor
  • Paul D. Irving (born 1957), American law enforcement officer
  • Paul Irwin, American nonprofit executive, president and CEO of Elephants in Crisis
  • Pavlo Ishchenko (born 1992), Ukrainian-Israeli boxer
  • Paul Israel (historian) (born 1953), American historian
  • Paul Israel (born 1969), Australian former rugby league footballer
  • Paul Izzo (born 1995), Australian footballer

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

  • Paul Uhlenhuth (1870–1957), German bacteriologist and immunologist
  • Paul Ulibarri (born 1988), American professional disc golfer
  • Paul Underwood (born 1973), English former professional football player
  • Paul Urbain (born 1957), Belgian field hockey player
  • Paul Urquhart (1877–1940) pseudonym for author Ladbroke Black
  • Paul Usher (born 1961), English actor
  • Paul Usoro (born 1958), Nigerian litigator, communication law expert and president of the Nigerian Bar Association

V

W

X

Y

Z

  • Pat Zachry (born 1952), American former baseball pitcher
  • Paul Zaeske (1945–1992), American football player
  • Paul Zammit (born 1941), Australian politician
  • Paul Zammit (footballer) (born 1969), Maltese football manager and former player
  • Paul Zanolini (1898–1989), American wrestler
  • Paul Zarifopol (1874–1934), Romanian literary and social critic, essayist, and literary historian
  • Paul Zaza (born 1952), Canadian Genie Award-winning film score and songwriter
  • Paul Zeltwanger (born 1966), American accountant and politician
  • Paul Zerdin (born 1972), British comedian and ventriloquist
  • Paul Zimmer, internet personality
  • Paul Zindel (1936–2003), American playwright, young adult novelist, and educator
  • Paul Zipser (born 1994), German professional basketball player

Fictional characters

See also

References

  1. ^ "The Name Paul - Origin and Meaning of Paul". Male & Female Names. Igor Katsev. 2013. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  2. ^ "The Name Paulus - Origin and Meaning of Paulus". Male & Female Names. Igor Katsev. 2013. Archived from the original on February 7, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2017.
  3. ^ "Genealogy Data: Frequently Occurring Surnames from Census 1990 – Names Files", Census.gov, U.S. Census Bureau, December 29, 2009, archived from the original on March 27, 2010
  4. ^ "Popularity of a Name: Popularity of name Paul". Social Security. Social Security Administration. Retrieved February 10, 2017.