Paul
/pɔːl/noun
A male given name and surname, especially associated with the apostle Paul of the New Testament.
Did you know?The apostle Paul’s name comes from Latin *Paulus*, meaning “small” or “humble,” a reminder that some of history’s biggest spiritual movements were carried by a name meaning little.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pau-
“small, few”
Latin
Latin
paulus
“small, little”
Ancient Roman
Latin
Paulus
“a Roman family name originally meaning “small””
Biblical Greek
Greek
Παῦλος (Paulos)
“Paul, the apostle’s Greek name”
Old English
English
Paulus
“the biblical apostle’s name in learned Christian use”
Modern English
English
Paul
“a male given name and surname”