Paulo

Paulo is the Portuguese form of Paul, ultimately from Latin paulus, meaning “small.” Its history belongs to the international family of names made familiar through the biblical Paul and later religious and cultural use. “Humble” is a common interpretation of the meaning, but the underlying Latin adjective is more directly small.

Paolo is the corresponding Italian form, not a more authentic version of Paulo. The two spellings reflect different language traditions, and Portuguese pronunciation can differ from the Italian vowel sequence. Paul offers the familiar English comparison. A family using Paulo may be preserving Portuguese-speaking heritage or honoring a Paul while choosing the form appropriate to its own language and pronunciation.