boy's name
Saul
SAWL
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 47,594
the United States
#557
2025 births
Saul means asked for, and the Hebrew Bible appears to have attached his wordplay to the wrong man — the puns on asking in the birth of Samuel fit Sha'ul far better than they fit Shemuel.
- Saul is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2006, when 1,120 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 6,197 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Saul over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 87 |
| 1890s | 115 |
| 1900s | 245 |
| 1910s | 1,662 |
| 1920s | 1,996 |
| 1930s | 1,233 |
| 1940s | 972 |
| 1950s | 1,241 |
| 1960s | 1,519 |
| 1970s | 2,712 |
| 1980s | 4,147 |
| 1990s | 7,412 |
| 2000s | 10,547 |
| 2010s | 6,315 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,159 |
What Saul means
Saul means asked for, or prayed for. The Hebrew is a passive participle of the verb to ask, so the name describes a child requested from God rather than a quality.
Where Saul comes from
Saul is the Hebrew Sha'ul, asked for — the passive participle of sha'al, to ask or request. The opening of 1 Samuel explains the prophet Samuel's name with repeated wordplay on asking, which fits Sha'ul rather than Shemuel, and many scholars read it as a birth story originally belonging to Saul and later transferred. Saul of Tarsus, the persecutor who became Paul, is the other well-known bearer.
Saul in use
Saul peaked in the United States in 2006, when 1,120 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 292nd in Northern Ireland, 361st in Scotland on 10 births, 557th in the United States on 535, 883rd in France on 45 and 1046th in England and Wales on 29, across 47,594 lifetime births in six of the seven markets we track. Our records carry it from 1880.
How popular is Saul?
In 2025, Saul was given to 535 babies in the United States, ranking #557 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Saul is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Saul is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Saül | Saül is a rare spelling of Saul, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 140 times, mostly in France. | 140 |
Names that peaked alongside Saul
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Saul also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Saul over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Saul in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Saul
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Saul — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Saul
What does the name Saul mean?
Asked for — a passive participle of the Hebrew sha'al, to ask.
Why is the Samuel wordplay odd?
The puns on asking fit Sha'ul, not Shemuel, so the birth story may originally have been Saul's.
Did Saul become Paul?
Saul of Tarsus is a different figure from the king, and took the Roman name Paul.
Where is Saul used?
Five of our six markets, strongest in Northern Ireland at 292nd.
How popular is the name Saul?
In 2025, Saul was given to 535 babies in the United States, ranking #557 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Saul a girl's or a boy's name?
Saul is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Saul?
Saul has 1 syllable.
When was Saul most popular?
Saul peaked in 2006, when 1,120 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Saul a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Saul currently ranks #292 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.