Paul (given name)

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Paul

Paul the Apostle by El Greco
Pronunciation	English: /pɔːl/ ⓘ PAWL French: [pɔl] ⓘ German: [paʊl] ⓘ Dutch: [pʌul] ⓘ
Gender	Male
Name day	June 29
Origin
Language	Latin
Word/name	Paulus, Paullus
Meaning	"small" or "humble"
Region of origin	Ancient Rome in the Italian Peninsula
Other names
Related names	Paulus, Pauli, Paulo, Paolo, Pablo, Paavo, Pavel, Paulin

Paul is an English as well as Dutch, French and German masculine given name. The Roman and subsequently Christian derived name and its variations can also be a 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". 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. The name Paul is common, with variations, in all Christian nations' languages.

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

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

Other languages

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Notable examples

Fictional characters

See also

• All pages with titles beginning with Paul
• All pages with titles beginning with Paul of – for people known as "Paul of ..."

References

Name list

This page or section lists people that share the same given name.
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