Tag: Paul

Paul (English pronunciation: /ˈpɔːl/) is a common masculine name in countries and ethnicities with a Christian heritage (Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism) and, beyond Europe, in Christian religious communities throughout the world. It derives from the Roman family name Paulus which means “small” or “humble” in Latin; it is cognate to the Modern English word “few”. Its prevalence in nations with a Christian heritage is due primarily, however, to its attachment to the New Testament-era saint and Roman citizen Saul of Tarsus, the author of most of the New Testament, whose Latin name was Paul. The name is common in all Western European languages (e.g. English, French, Spanish) and those associated with Eastern Orthodoxy (e.g. Greek, Russian, Georgian, Armenian, Coptic, Malayalam). The feminine versions are Paula, Pauline, Paulina, and Paulette. Below are some of the more notable ‘Pauls’ in history.