Boy · #542 in 2026

Saul

Saul is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin. It is the English form of שָׁאוּל‎, the Hebrew name of the Biblical King Saul. The name translates to "asked for/borrowed".

Current Rank
#542
Peak Rank
#270 (2006)
Total Babies
44K
5-Yr Trend
+2%
1980
First Year
2004
Last Year
1989
Peak Year
#8761
Peak Rank
74
Total Count
12
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Saul

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Saul is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin. It is the English form of שָׁאוּל‎, the Hebrew name of the Biblical King Saul. The name translates to "asked for/borrowed".

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Saul

Saul first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 15 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2006, when 1,120 Sauls were born — ranking #298 that year. As of 2026, Saul ranks #542 for baby boys with 548 births, holding steady (+2%). In total, more than 44K Sauls have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
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WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
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IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
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VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
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KS
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TN
NC
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AK
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NM
OK
LA
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Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Saul

Phonetically similar names — useful when Saul is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Saul

What does the name Saul mean?
Saul is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin. It is the English form of שָׁאוּל‎, the Hebrew name of the Biblical King Saul. The name translates to "asked for/borrowed".
How popular is Saul in 2026?
In 2026, Saul ranks #542 among boys' names in the U.S., with 548 babies given the name that year.
When was Saul most popular?
Saul reached its peak popularity in 2006, ranking #270 that year with 1,120 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Saul most popular?
Saul has historically been most popular in New York, Massachusetts, Nevada. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Saul.
Is Saul a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Saul is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Saul?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Saul include Ulysses, Daren, Aaden. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Saul

Saul is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 44K births in the dataset. Saul's peak popularity came in 2006 when it ranked #270. Use the chart and map above to compare Saul's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.