Saul Boy

Popularity: #490 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: SAWL //sɔːl//

Origin: Hebrew; Latin

Meaning: Hebrew: 'asked for, prayed for'; Latin: 'to be safe'

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Saul has its roots in the Hebrew language, originating from the name שָׁאוּל (Sha'ul), which means "asked for" or "prayed for." This name appears in the Hebrew Bible, where it is associated with the first king of Israel, Saul, who reigned in the 11th century BCE. The name was later transliterated into Greek as Σαούλ (Saoul) and subsequently into Latin as Saulus, before making its way into Old French and finally into English as Saul.

The biblical figure of King Saul is a significant character in the narratives of the Old Testament, particularly in the books of Samuel, where his rise and fall are chronicled, marking him as a pivotal figure in Jewish history. Throughout history, the name Saul has been borne by various notable figures, including saints and scholars.

One of the most prominent is Saint Paul, originally named Saul of Tarsus, who was a key figure in the early Christian church during the 1st century CE. His conversion experience and subsequent missionary work were instrumental in the spread of Christianity, and his letters form a substantial part of the New Testament.

This connection to a major religious figure has contributed to the name's enduring significance in Christian contexts. Culturally, the name Saul has been associated with themes of leadership, tragedy, and redemption, largely due to its biblical associations.

The narrative of King Saul, characterized by his initial promise and subsequent decline, resonates with themes of human frailty and divine will. In various literary and artistic interpretations, Saul's story has been explored, reflecting on the complexities of power and morality.

The name has also seen diminutive forms such as Sal, which have appeared in different cultures, further enriching its historical tapestry. Overall, the name Saul carries a weight of historical and cultural significance, rooted deeply in religious texts and narratives.

Famous people named Saul

In this section, you will find notable people named Saul. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Saul who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Saul who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Saul Bellow is a novelist best known for Herzog, The Adventures of Augie March, and Humboldt's Gift.

Saul Goodman is a fictional character best known for his role in the television series Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul.

Saul Williams is a poet, musician, and actor best known for his work in the film Slam and his albums Amethyst Rock Star and The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!.

Saul Alinsky is an author and activist best known for his book Rules for Radicals.

Fictional characters named Saul

The following list of fictional characters named Saul is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Saul Goodman is a fictional character from the TV series Breaking Bad and its spin-off Better Call Saul. He is a criminal lawyer known for his colorful personality and morally questionable practices.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Saul, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

DavidIsaacSamuelEliJacobAaron

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Saul. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

SolSauloSalSethSaulitoSawyerSilasSoren

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Saul was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Saul has ranked as high as #593 nationally, which occurred in 2006, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Arizona.

In the past 5 years the name Saul has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Saul is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Saul was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Saul.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 535 535 0
2024 531 531 0
2023 515 515 0
2022 581 581 0
2021 513 513 0
2020 484 484 0
2019 538 538 0
2018 534 534 0
2017 605 605 0
2016 560 560 0
2015 592 592 0
2014 664 664 0
2013 656 656 0
2012 690 690 0
2011 715 715 0
2010 761 761 0
2009 867 867 0
2008 999 999 0
2007 1,070 1,070 0
2006 1,120 1,120 0
2005 1,113 1,113 0
2004 1,110 1,104 6
2003 1,072 1,072 0
2002 1,028 1,028 0
2001 1,103 1,103 0
2000 1,065 1,059 6
1999 891 891 0
1998 916 916 0
1997 1,052 1,045 7
1996 869 869 0
1995 713 713 0
1994 598 598 0
1993 580 580 0
1992 621 616 5
1991 598 593 5
1990 574 567 7
1989 530 522 8
1988 440 435 5
1987 429 429 0
1986 411 411 0
1985 415 408 7
1984 395 389 6
1983 380 380 0
1982 368 361 7
1981 411 411 0
1980 368 363 5
1979 351 351 0
1978 291 291 0
1977 323 323 0
1976 295 295 0
1975 279 279 0
1974 267 267 0
1973 250 250 0
1972 244 244 0
1971 193 193 0
1970 219 219 0
1969 193 193 0
1968 159 159 0
1967 159 159 0
1966 135 135 0
1965 167 167 0
1964 123 123 0
1963 142 142 0
1962 144 144 0
1961 168 168 0
1960 129 129 0
1959 137 137 0
1958 154 154 0
1957 138 138 0
1956 115 115 0
1955 118 118 0
1954 121 121 0
1953 117 117 0
1952 103 103 0
1951 123 123 0
1950 115 115 0
1949 103 103 0
1948 104 104 0
1947 112 112 0
1946 101 101 0
1945 85 85 0
1944 78 78 0
1943 97 97 0
1942 107 107 0
1941 97 97 0
1940 88 88 0
1939 98 98 0
1938 123 123 0
1937 113 113 0
1936 120 120 0
1935 109 109 0
1934 130 130 0
1933 131 131 0
1932 122 122 0
1931 138 138 0
1930 149 149 0
1929 156 156 0
1928 179 179 0
1927 189 189 0
1926 189 189 0
1925 206 206 0
1924 213 213 0
1923 225 225 0
1922 204 204 0
1921 229 229 0
1920 206 206 0
1919 232 232 0
1918 239 239 0
1917 228 228 0
1916 222 222 0
1915 207 207 0
1914 162 162 0
1913 148 148 0
1912 125 125 0
1911 57 57 0
1910 42 42 0
1909 41 41 0
1908 35 35 0
1907 36 36 0
1906 18 18 0
1905 12 12 0
1904 26 26 0
1903 17 17 0
1902 24 24 0
1901 13 13 0
1900 23 23 0
1899 17 17 0
1898 11 11 0
1897 11 11 0
1896 11 11 0
1895 13 13 0
1894 16 16 0
1893 9 9 0
1892 11 11 0
1891 9 9 0
1890 7 7 0
1888 20 20 0
1887 11 11 0
1886 10 10 0
1885 11 11 0
1883 5 5 0
1882 15 15 0
1880 15 15 0

Top States for Saul (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 142
29%
CA 113
23%
FL 22
4%
NY 20
4%
AZ 20
4%
GA 17
3%
IL 17
3%
NC 16
3%
WA 14
3%
CO 12
2%
IN 10
2%
PA 9
2%
TN 9
2%
NV 8
2%
AL 7
1%
MI 6
1%
SC 6
1%
NM 6
1%
AR 6
1%
OK 6
1%
NJ 6
1%
OR 6
1%
ID 5
1%
OH 5
1%
KS 5
1%
MD 5
1%