Boy
Paul
small, humble
About Paul
Few names carry such enduring dignity and cross-cultural recognition. This single syllable contains centuries of history, literature, art, and leadership. It's a name that has graced saints and artists, leaders and philosophers, yet never feels pretentious or inaccessible. The simplicity is deceptive—while brief, it possesses remarkable weight and presence. It's a choice that transcends trends, remaining consistently relevant across decades and even centuries. Parents selecting this name often value tradition, substance, and timelessness over novelty. It pairs beautifully with longer middle names, providing balance and structure to the full name. The name's brevity makes it memorable and easy for a child to learn to write, while its gravitas ensures it commands respect throughout life.
Popularity of the Name Paul
Rank among the 1,000 most popular baby names, by year.
| United States | United Kingdom | New Zealand | Ireland | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | #60 | ||||
| 1881 | #55 | ||||
| 1882 | #44 | ||||
| 1883 | #48 | ||||
| 1884 | #45 | ||||
| 1885 | #43 | ||||
| 1886 | #38 | ||||
| 1887 | #40 | ||||
| 1888 | #38 | ||||
| 1889 | #35 | ||||
| 1890 | #31 | ||||
| 1891 | #31 | ||||
| 1892 | #29 | ||||
| 1893 | #25 | ||||
| 1894 | #23 | ||||
| 1895 | #20 | ||||
| 1896 | #20 | ||||
| 1897 | #20 | ||||
| 1898 | #21 | ||||
| 1899 | #21 | ||||
| 1900 | #19 | ||||
| 1901 | #19 | ||||
| 1902 | #20 | ||||
| 1903 | #19 | ||||
| 1904 | #19 | ||||
| 1905 | #19 | #117 | |||
| 1906 | #19 | ||||
| 1907 | #20 | ||||
| 1908 | #18 | ||||
| 1909 | #17 | ||||
| 1910 | #15 | #122 | |||
| 1911 | #17 | #129 | |||
| 1912 | #14 | #133 | |||
| 1913 | #14 | #128 | |||
| 1914 | #13 | #102 | |||
| 1915 | #13 | #141 | |||
| 1916 | #12 | #111 | |||
| 1917 | #13 | #120 | |||
| 1918 | #14 | #109 | |||
| 1919 | #15 | #100 | |||
| 1920 | #14 | #114 | |||
| 1921 | #14 | #107 | |||
| 1922 | #14 | #98 | |||
| 1923 | #14 | #105 | |||
| 1924 | #14 | #96 | |||
| 1925 | #13 | #97 | |||
| 1926 | #13 | #80 | |||
| 1927 | #13 | #92 | |||
| 1928 | #13 | #112 | |||
| 1929 | #13 | #81 | |||
| 1930 | #12 | #73 | |||
| 1931 | #12 | #73 | |||
| 1932 | #13 | #71 | |||
| 1933 | #14 | #62 | |||
| 1934 | #14 | #64 | |||
| 1935 | #14 | #67 | |||
| 1936 | #15 | #49 | |||
| 1937 | #15 | #51 | |||
| 1938 | #15 | #36 | |||
| 1939 | #17 | #31 | |||
| 1940 | #17 | #38 | |||
| 1941 | #18 | #36 | |||
| 1942 | #19 | #37 | |||
| 1943 | #19 | #28 | |||
| 1944 | #17 | #26 | |||
| 1945 | #17 | #24 | |||
| 1946 | #18 | #18 | |||
| 1947 | #18 | #15 | |||
| 1948 | #18 | #14 | |||
| 1949 | #17 | #11 | |||
| 1950 | #18 | #11 | |||
| 1951 | #18 | #7 | |||
| 1952 | #19 | #6 | |||
| 1953 | #16 | #6 | |||
| 1954 | #16 | #6 | |||
| 1955 | #16 | #6 | |||
| 1956 | #17 | #5 | |||
| 1957 | #18 | #5 | |||
| 1958 | #15 | #6 | |||
| 1959 | #17 | #7 | |||
| 1960 | #18 | #7 | |||
| 1961 | #18 | #7 | |||
| 1962 | #19 | #7 | |||
| 1963 | #17 | #6 | |||
| 1964 | #16 | #5 | #4 | ||
| 1965 | #16 | #3 | #6 | ||
| 1966 | #18 | #3 | #5 | ||
| 1967 | #18 | #4 | #5 | ||
| 1968 | #19 | #4 | #7 | ||
| 1969 | #22 | #3 | #7 | ||
| 1970 | #23 | #5 | #7 | ||
| 1971 | #24 | #4 | #7 | ||
| 1972 | #24 | #5 | #6 | ||
| 1973 | #24 | #6 | #5 | ||
| 1974 | #27 | #6 | #5 | ||
| 1975 | #29 | #8 | #5 | ||
| 1976 | #28 | #8 | #5 | ||
| 1977 | #31 | #9 | #5 | ||
| 1978 | #33 | #10 | #3 | ||
| 1979 | #34 | #10 | #3 | ||
| 1980 | #35 | #9 | #4 | ||
| 1981 | #35 | #13 | #5 | ||
| 1982 | #35 | #16 | #5 | ||
| 1983 | #39 | #18 | #7 | ||
| 1984 | #40 | #20 | #7 | ||
| 1985 | #42 | #23 | #7 | ||
| 1986 | #45 | #27 | #8 | ||
| 1987 | #46 | #25 | #7 | ||
| 1988 | #46 | #32 | #9 | ||
| 1989 | #49 | #35 | #8 | ||
| 1990 | #49 | #48 | #11 | ||
| 1991 | #53 | #52 | #13 | #60 | |
| 1992 | #55 | #53 | #13 | #72 | |
| 1993 | #56 | #75 | #13 | #69 | |
| 1994 | #64 | #78 | #16 | #73 | |
| 1995 | #71 | #89 | #21 | #84 | |
| 1996 | #78 | #79 | #28 | #83 | |
| 1997 | #79 | #67 | #101 | #26 | #90 |
| 1998 | #89 | #68 | #85 | #34 | #117 |
| 1999 | #94 | #78 | #125 | #39 | #106 |
| 2000 | #100 | #86 | #127 | #40 | #127 |
| 2001 | #109 | #94 | #137 | #43 | #128 |
| 2002 | #118 | #101 | #142 | #45 | #139 |
| 2003 | #123 | #120 | #161 | #48 | #136 |
| 2004 | #127 | #120 | #185 | #43 | #150 |
| 2005 | #130 | #126 | #201 | #54 | #163 |
| 2006 | #132 | #141 | #155 | #62 | #162 |
| 2007 | #147 | #154 | #180 | #72 | #171 |
| 2008 | #154 | #156 | #187 | #76 | #170 |
| 2009 | #160 | #194 | #165 | #78 | #197 |
| 2010 | #177 | #197 | #253 | #90 | #198 |
| 2011 | #186 | #228 | #189 | #97 | #203 |
| 2012 | #190 | #236 | #227 | #105 | #206 |
| 2013 | #198 | #248 | #249 | #125 | #202 |
| 2014 | #201 | #270 | #212 | #126 | #208 |
| 2015 | #200 | #265 | #337 | #129 | #184 |
| 2016 | #206 | #278 | #246 | #171 | #198 |
| 2017 | #225 | #329 | #306 | #173 | #208 |
| 2018 | #234 | #310 | #343 | #146 | #227 |
| 2019 | #245 | #338 | #164 | #189 | |
| 2020 | #252 | #360 | #166 | #201 | |
| 2021 | #257 | #429 | #327 | #160 | #201 |
| 2022 | #262 | #429 | #468 | #205 | #220 |
| 2023 | #256 | #430 | #337 | #216 | #215 |
| 2024 | #262 | #524 | #306 | #227 | #174 |
| 2025 | #262 | #527 | #281 | #291 | #185 |
Top names by country: United States · United Kingdom · New Zealand · Ireland · Canada
Variations of Name Paul
Names Similar to Paul
Nicknames for Paul
- Paulie
- Pauly
- PJ
- Pete
Famous People Named Paul
| Paul McCartney | English musician |
| Paul Newman | American actor |
| Paul Rudd | American actor |
| Paul Walker | American actor |
| Paul Simon | American singer-songwriter |
| Paul Gauguin | French painter |
| Paul Hogan | Australian actor |
| Paul Allen | American entrepreneur |
| Paul Verlaine | French poet |
| Paul Krugman | American economist |
| Paul Pierce | American basketball player |
| Paul Kagame | President of Rwanda |
| Paul Greengrass | English filmmaker |
| Paul Bettany | English actor |
| Paul Pogba | French footballer |
| Paul Weller | English musician |
| Paul Gascoigne | English footballer |
| Paul Anka | Canadian singer |
| Paul Revere | American patriot |
| Paul Volcker | American economist |
Characters Named Paul
| Paul Atreides | Dune series |
| Paul Baumer | All Quiet on the Western Front |
| Paul Sheldon | Misery |
| Paul Varjak | Breakfast at Tiffany's |
| Paul Blart | Mall Cop |
| Paul Finch | American Pie series |
| Paul Conroy | Buried |
| Paul Buchman | Mad About You |
| Paulie Bleeker | Juno |
| Paul Kersey | Death Wish series |
| Paul Edgecomb | The Green Mile |
| Paul Rusesabagina | Hotel Rwanda |
| Paul Foster | UFO |
| Paul Smecker | The Boondock Saints |
| Paul Treadwell | Anatomy of a Murder |
| Paul Krendler | Hannibal |
| Paulie Gualtieri | The Sopranos |
| Paul Naylor | The IT Crowd |
| Paul Woodhouse | Hot Fuzz |
| Paul Buckman | Parenthood |