# Paul (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/paul/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Latin |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 78,256 |
| US rank (2010) | 415 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 3,945 people |
| Change since 2000 | +8.3% (72,248 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /pɔl/, 1 syllable |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Paulus, from paulus (“small”). Doublet of Pablo and Paolo.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Paul in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 67% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 20% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.7% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 6.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.0% |
| Two or more races | 1.9% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Paul in the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Mauritius, Argentina and India.

## People named Paul

- Ron Paul, American politician (born 1935)
- Les Paul, American jazz guitarist, country guitarist, songwriter and inventor (1915–2009)
- Aaron Paul, American actor (born 1979)
- Chris Paul, American basketball player (born 1985)
- Logan Paul, American YouTuber and Internet personality (born 1995)
- Alice Paul, American suffragist, feminist, and activist (1885–1977)
- Jake Paul, American YouTuber and boxer (born 1997)
- Alexandra Paul, American actress
- Tommy Paul, American tennis player (born 1997)
- Adrian Paul, British actor (born 1959)
- Don Michael Paul, American actor, director, writer, and producer
- Robert W. Paul, British cinema pioneer (1869–1943)

and 26 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Pauley, Pal, Pahl, Pauly, Paull, Pauli, Paley, Paula, Paulo, Palo, Peal, Paoli.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.