The first name Saul
A boy’s name from Hebrew.
Pronounced /sɔl/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Borrowed from Old English Saul. Doublet of Silas, which derived from Aramaic.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 29 boys were named Saul, making it the 1,035th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1999, with 124 births (#243).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Saul with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Saul at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 535 boys born in the United States were named Saul, the 557th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2006, when 1,120 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Saul in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Saul in Dutch and Polish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Shaul
Famous people named Saul
27 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Saul BellowCanadian-American writer (1915–2005)
- Saul PerlmutterAmerican astrophysicist and Nobel laureate, born 1959
- Saul KripkeAmerican philosopher and logician (1940–2022)
- Saul BassAmerican graphic designer and filmmaker (1920–1996)
- Saul ZaentzAmerican film producer and record company executive (1921-2014)
- Saul AlinskyAmerican community organizer and writer (1909–1972)
- Saul WilliamsAmerican singer, musician, poet, writer, and actor, born 1972
- Saul RubinekCanadian actor and director (born 1948)
- Saul LeiterAmerican photographer (1923-2013)
- Saúl CocoEquatorial Guinean association football player (born 1999)
- Saúl CalandraArgentine association football player (1904-1973)
- Saul LiebermanAmerican rabbi, 1898–1983
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Saul mean?
- Borrowed from Old English Saul. Doublet of Silas, which derived from Aramaic.
- What is the origin of the name Saul?
- Borrowed from Old English Saul. Doublet of Silas, which derived from Aramaic.
- How popular is the name Saul?
- In 2025, 29 boys born in England and Wales were named Saul, ranking 1,035th. Its peak was 1999, with 124 births.
- Is Saul a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 43,362 US babies named Saul since 1880 were boys.
- When was Saul most popular?
- 2006 in the United States, when 1,120 babies were named Saul, its highest rank at 298th.
- How do you pronounce Saul?
- Saul is /sɔl/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of Saul?
- Shaul.
- Is Saul also a surname?
- Yes. Saul is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.