How common is the surname Paul?

78,256 people in the United States had the surname Paul in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 3,945 Americans. It ranked 415th of 162,253 surnames.

Who is the most famous person named Paul?

Ron Paul, American politician (born 1935), followed by Les Paul.

Where is the surname Paul most common?

Wikidata records people named Paul in the United States, the United Kingdom and Austria and 3 other countries.

Is the surname Paul getting more or less common?

More common. 72,248 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 78,256 in 2010, up 8.3%.

Is Paul also a first name?

Yes. Paul is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Paul

A Latin patronymic surname, carried by 78,256 people in the United States.

Pronounced /pɔl/ 1 syllable Soundex P400 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Paul is more common than 99.7% of them.

Origin

Latin origin

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

Paul is a patronymic surname: formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.

One of 91 Latin surnames on this site.

Origin from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 78,256 people named Paul in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 3,945 Americans. That is up 8.3% since 2000, when the Census counted 72,248.

#415

rank among US surnames

78,256

people in 2010

per 100,000 Americans

+8.3%

change since 2000 (was #401)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#406	Barber	78,848	3,916
#407	Bowen	78,822	3,917
#408	Ochoa	78,677	3,924
#409	Dennis	78,482	3,934
#410	Robbins	78,381	3,939
#411	Liu	78,370	3,940
#412	Ramsey	78,350	3,941

Who is named Paul

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

67% of people named Paul identified as white (not Hispanic), 20% as Black (not Hispanic) and 6.3% as Asian and Pacific Islander.

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

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Pauls

38 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

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, born 1963
Tommy Paul
American tennis player (born 1997)
Adrian Paul
British actor (born 1959)
Don Michael Paul
American actor, director, writer, and producer, born 1963
Robert W. Paul
British cinema pioneer (1869–1943)

Notable Pauls come mostly from the United States (29), the United Kingdom (4) and Austria (1).

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Paul

Paul has the Soundex code P400, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code P400.

Other Latin surnames

All 91 Latin surnames

Questions

Where does the surname Paul come from?: Learned borrowing from Latin Paulus, from paulus (“small”). Doublet of Pablo and Paolo.
How common is the surname Paul?: 78,256 people in the United States had the surname Paul in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 3,945 Americans. It ranked 415th of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Paul?: In the 2010 Census, 67% of people named Paul identified as white (not Hispanic), and 20% as Black (not Hispanic).
Who is the most famous person named Paul?: Ron Paul, American politician (born 1935), followed by Les Paul.
Where is the surname Paul most common?: Wikidata records people named Paul in the United States, the United Kingdom and Austria and 3 other countries.
How do you pronounce Paul?: Paul is /pɔl/, one syllable.
What type of surname is Paul?: Paul is a patronymic surname, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name.
Is the surname Paul getting more or less common?: More common. 72,248 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 78,256 in 2010, up 8.3%.
Is Paul also a first name?: Yes. Paul is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.