boys' name · peaked 2006

Saul

Borrowed from Old English Saul.

Every Saul since 1880 — 43,362 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex — comparable across eras
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls
Rank 2025
#557
among boys
Babies in 2025
535
named Saul
Peak year
2006
1,120 babies
All-time total
43,362
since 1880

The story of Saul

Saul is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #557 in 2025 with 535 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 43,362 American babies have been named Saul. Its peak came in 2006, when 1,120 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Saul stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

Saul year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 535 #557
2024 531 #559
2023 515 #570
2022 581 #513
2021 513 #556
2020 484 #575
2019 538 #533
2018 534 #531
2017 605 #485
2016 560 #527
2015 592 #495
2014 664 #450
2013 656 #440
2012 690 #414
2011 715 #399
2010 761 #379
2009 867 #356
2008 999 #329
2007 1,070 #308
2006 1,120 #298
2005 1,113 #295
2004 6 #15,731 1,104 #289
2003 1,072 #292
2002 1,028 #289
2001 1,103 #278
2000 6 #14,679 1,059 #287
1995 713 #346
1990 7 #11,137 567 #409
1985 7 #9,076 408 #426
1980 5 #11,763 363 #432
1975 279 #479
1970 219 #551
1965 167 #590
1960 129 #694
1955 118 #675
1950 115 #650
1945 85 #656
1940 88 #640
1935 109 #552
1930 149 #487
1925 206 #419
1920 206 #415
1915 207 #374
1910 42 #419
1905 12 #733
1900 23 #487
1895 13 #604
1890 7 #870
1885 11 #600
1880 15 #476

Famous people named Saul

  1. Saul Religious figure · -1079–-1010
  2. Saul Bellow Writer · 1915–2005
  3. Saul Bass Film director · 1920–1996
  4. Saul Kripke Philosopher · b. 1940
  5. Saul Steinberg Comic artist · 1914–1999

Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

Frequently asked questions

What does the name Saul mean?

Borrowed from Old English Saul.

How popular is the name Saul in 2025?

Saul ranked #557 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 535 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Saul?

43,362 babies have been named Saul in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Saul most popular?

Saul peaked in 2006, when 1,120 newborns received the name.

Is Saul a boy or girl name?

Saul is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Saul rising or falling?

Saul has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Who are famous people named Saul?

Well-known people named Saul include Saul (religious figure), Saul Bellow (writer), Saul Bass (film director).

Names like Saul

Compare Saul with similar names →