Paul

Paul is an English, French, German, and Dutch given name derived from the Latin family name Paulus, meaning small or humble, itself from a Roman cognomen of uncertain but possibly Oscan origin. The name owes its extraordinary spread throughout the Christian world to Saint Paul the Apostle, the first-century missionary whose epistles form a substantial portion of the New Testament. It was borne by numerous popes and saints, as well as rulers such as Tsar Paul I of Russia, cementing its place across European cultures for nearly two millennia. Related forms include Paolo, Pablo, Pavel, Paulus, Poul, and Pol.