Paul

Paul is a Latin family name, Paulus, derived from a Roman cognomen meaning small or humble, possibly originally describing a younger or smaller member of a family. The name gained immense Christian significance through Saint Paul the Apostle, the first-century missionary whose epistles form a cornerstone of the New Testament and who carried Christianity throughout the Roman world. Its widespread adoption across Europe stems almost entirely from that apostolic prestige, making it one of the most enduringly common names in Western tradition. Cognate and variant forms include Paolo, Pablo, Pavel, Pau, Pål, and Paavo.