Abel
Hebrew
“breath”
Mostly boys · Hebrew
“prayed for”
Say it SAWLPronunciation may vary by region.
A little maybe, saved for later.
The story behind the name
Saul is a Hebrew name traditionally interpreted as ‘prayed for.’ It belongs to the first king of Israel in the biblical account and is also the name used by Paul before his conversion.
A little perspective
Recorded US births over time
| Year | Category | US rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Boys | 557 | 535 |
| 2024 | Boys | 559 | 531 |
| 2023 | Boys | 570 | 515 |
| 2022 | Boys | 513 | 581 |
| 2021 | Boys | 556 | 513 |
| 2020 | Boys | 575 | 484 |
| 2019 | Boys | 533 | 538 |
| 2018 | Boys | 531 | 534 |
| 2017 | Boys | 485 | 605 |
| 2016 | Boys | 527 | 560 |
| 2015 | Boys | 495 | 592 |
| 2014 | Boys | 450 | 664 |
Rankings are calculated separately for boys and girls. Records below the publication threshold may be missing; gaps are not zero births.
No nicknames are listed yet. The name can stand beautifully on its own.
We haven’t added verified variations for this spelling yet.
Keep the possibilities coming
More names with a similar feeling or shared roots.
Hebrew
“breath”
Hebrew
“my father is joyful”
Hebrew
“father of multitudes”
Hebrew
“son of the red earth”
Variation of Hannah, Hebrew
“grace”
Italian and Hebrew
“air; song or melody; lion”