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".
- Biblical
- Jewish
- Biblical Latin
- Spanish
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 →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Biblical
- Jewish
- Biblical Latin
- Spanish
The Story of Saul
The earliest SSA record of Saul as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 15 babies received it. 2006 was its biggest year on record, with 1,120 newborns named Saul — #298 in the national rankings. About 24% of every Saul on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Saul ranks #542 for baby boys with 548 births, holding steady (+2%). All told, over 44K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
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
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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
- Top names of 2006 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.