Boy Old & New Testament Very common

Saul

demanded; lent; ditch; death

שָׁאוּל Σαούλ sha.ul

📌 Pin ⌥ Share

Saul (Hebrew: שָׁאוּל, sha.ul) means “demanded; lent; ditch; death”, by traditional interpretation. It belongs to one man who carries two names in the text — he is also called Paul. In 2025 it was given to 535 children in the United States, ranking 557. Around 43,362 Americans have been given it since 1880. Appears with Abinadab in 1 Chronicles 9.

Merged person graphTIPNR + BibleData

Which Saul?

Two men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.

  1. Saul

    Apostolic · 178 verses

  2. Saul

    United Monarchy · tribe of Benjamin · prophet · 342 verses

    related to Azrikam; father of Ish-bosheth; related to Ahaz

TIPNR + BibleDataSSA · public domain

Scripture against society

The two measures, side by side

Concordance Depth Index 131.8 · rank 14
US usage today rank 557 · 535 births in 2025
1880 — 2025 · share per 100,000 births
TIPNR + BibleDataSTEPBible · CC BY

At a glance

Verses
520 across 20 books
Bearers
2 distinct people in scripture
Testament
Both
Era
United Monarchy
Merged person graph520 verse pairs

In scripture

FactDetail
First appears1 Samuel 9:2
Last appears2 Peter 3:15
Two names, one personPaul/Saul
Cross-references10,154 linked passages
SSA · public domainibge_censoine_es_edad_mediaIRN PT

The same name elsewhere

CountryFormStandingBasis
United StatesSaul rank 557 · 535 in 2025 Births in year
Brazil SAUL 5,528 bearers · born 1930–2010 Living residents
Spain SAUL 18,793 bearers · mean age 20.0 Living residents
PortugalSaúl permitted IRN approved list

Two different questions are shown here. Rows marked births in year count children registered during a period; rows marked living residents count people of every age alive at a census. They answer different questions and are never added together.

SSA · public domainBirths in year

Using it today

Very unlikely to share a classroom with another.
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
MeasureValueReading
Given in 2025 535 Steady
All-time total43,362 Since records begin in 1880
Peak 1,120 in 2006 Its highest year on record
Strongest stateTX Highest share relative to births
Computed · A2/A3Rationale generated

Names connected to this one

  • Paul renaming pair Renamed Paul at Acts 13:9 — one person, two names in the text.
  • Jonathan co-occurrence Appears with Jonathan in 1 Samuel 14.
  • Samuel co-occurrence Appears with Samuel in 1 Samuel 15.
  • Michal co-occurrence Appears with Michal in 2 Samuel 6.
  • Joseph co-occurrence Appears with Joseph in Acts 13.
  • Barnabas co-occurrence Appears with Barnabas in Acts 13.
  • Silas co-occurrence Appears with Silas in Acts 17.
  • Kish co-occurrence Appears with Kish in 1 Samuel 10.

Origin & meaning

Strong's number H7586G
Hebrew שָׁאוּל
Greek Σαούλ
Transliteration sha.ul

A king of the tribe of Benjamin living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.9.2;
son of: Kish (H7027); married to Ahinoam (H0293) and Rizpah (H7532);
father of: Jonathan (H3083H), Abinadab (H0041H), Malchi-shua (H4444), Merab (H4764), Michal (H4324), Ish-bosheth (H0378), Armoni (H0764), Mephibosheth (H4648H)
§ Saul or Shaul = "desired"
1) a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the 1st king of Israel
2) an early king of Edom and a successor of Samlah
3) a son of Simeon
4) a Levite, son of Uzziah

Saul was the first king of Israel, anointed by the prophet Samuel, who initially followed God but later disobeyed and was rejected as king.

The biblical story

Saul was the first king of Israel, anointed by the prophet Samuel in response to the people's request for a king (1 Samuel 8-10). He was a tall and handsome Benjamite who initially showed humility and potential as a leader (1Sa.9.2, 21; 10.6-7, 9-10). However, Saul's reign was marked by disobedience and rebellion against God. He offered an unlawful sacrifice before a battle against the Philistines (1Sa.13.8-14) and later disobeyed God's command to completely destroy the Amalekites and their possessions (1 Samuel 15). As a result, God rejected Saul as king and chose David to replace him (1Sa.15.23, 28; 16.1, 13). Saul became jealous of David's success and popularity, leading him to pursue David and attempt to kill him on multiple occasions (1 Samuel 18-26). Saul also massacred the priests of Nob for assisting David (1Sa.22.6-23). In a battle against the Philistines, Saul was critically wounded and took his own life to avoid capture (1Sa.31.1-6). His body was later recovered by the men of Jabesh-gilead and buried (1Sa.31.11-13). Despite his tragic end, Saul's reign united the tribes of Israel and laid the foundation for the Israelite monarchy. His life serves as a warning against disobedience and the consequences of turning away from God.

Key verses

Saul appears in 327 verses. Here are some of the most notable:

  1. And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

    1 Samuel 9:2

  2. And the asses of Kish Saul’s father were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses.

    1 Samuel 9:3

  3. And when they were come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant that was with him, Come, and let us return; lest my father leave caring for the asses, and take thought for us.

    1 Samuel 9:5

  4. Then said Saul to his servant, But, behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and there is not a present to bring to the man of God: what have we?

    1 Samuel 9:7

  5. And the servant answered Saul again, and said, Behold, I have here at hand the fourth part of a shekel of silver: that will I give to the man of God, to tell us our way.

    1 Samuel 9:8
Show all 327 references

1 Samuel (241)

  • 1 Samuel 9:2
  • 1 Samuel 9:3
  • 1 Samuel 9:5
  • 1 Samuel 9:7
  • 1 Samuel 9:8
  • 1 Samuel 9:10
  • 1 Samuel 9:15
  • 1 Samuel 9:17
  • 1 Samuel 9:18
  • 1 Samuel 9:19
  • 1 Samuel 9:21
  • 1 Samuel 9:22
  • 1 Samuel 9:24
  • 1 Samuel 9:25
  • 1 Samuel 9:26
  • 1 Samuel 9:27
  • 1 Samuel 10:11
  • 1 Samuel 10:12
  • 1 Samuel 10:14
  • 1 Samuel 10:15
  • 1 Samuel 10:16
  • 1 Samuel 10:21
  • 1 Samuel 10:26
  • 1 Samuel 11:4
  • 1 Samuel 11:5
  • 1 Samuel 11:6
  • 1 Samuel 11:7
  • 1 Samuel 11:11
  • 1 Samuel 11:12
  • 1 Samuel 11:13
  • 1 Samuel 11:15
  • 1 Samuel 13:1
  • 1 Samuel 13:2
  • 1 Samuel 13:3
  • 1 Samuel 13:4
  • 1 Samuel 13:7
  • 1 Samuel 13:9
  • 1 Samuel 13:10
  • 1 Samuel 13:11
  • 1 Samuel 13:13
  • 1 Samuel 13:15
  • 1 Samuel 13:16
  • 1 Samuel 13:22
  • 1 Samuel 14:1
  • 1 Samuel 14:2
  • 1 Samuel 14:16
  • 1 Samuel 14:17
  • 1 Samuel 14:18
  • 1 Samuel 14:19
  • 1 Samuel 14:20
  • 1 Samuel 14:21
  • 1 Samuel 14:24
  • 1 Samuel 14:33
  • 1 Samuel 14:34
  • 1 Samuel 14:35
  • 1 Samuel 14:36
  • 1 Samuel 14:37
  • 1 Samuel 14:38
  • 1 Samuel 14:40
  • 1 Samuel 14:41
  • 1 Samuel 14:42
  • 1 Samuel 14:43
  • 1 Samuel 14:44
  • 1 Samuel 14:45
  • 1 Samuel 14:46
  • 1 Samuel 14:47
  • 1 Samuel 14:49
  • 1 Samuel 14:50
  • 1 Samuel 14:51
  • 1 Samuel 14:52
  • 1 Samuel 15:1
  • 1 Samuel 15:4
  • 1 Samuel 15:5
  • 1 Samuel 15:6
  • 1 Samuel 15:7
  • 1 Samuel 15:9
  • 1 Samuel 15:11
  • 1 Samuel 15:12
  • 1 Samuel 15:13
  • 1 Samuel 15:15
  • 1 Samuel 15:16
  • 1 Samuel 15:20
  • 1 Samuel 15:24
  • 1 Samuel 15:26
  • 1 Samuel 15:31
  • 1 Samuel 15:34
  • 1 Samuel 15:35
  • 1 Samuel 16:1
  • 1 Samuel 16:2
  • 1 Samuel 16:14
  • 1 Samuel 16:15
  • 1 Samuel 16:17
  • 1 Samuel 16:19
  • 1 Samuel 16:20
  • 1 Samuel 16:21
  • 1 Samuel 16:22
  • 1 Samuel 16:23
  • 1 Samuel 17:2
  • 1 Samuel 17:8
  • 1 Samuel 17:11
  • 1 Samuel 17:12
  • 1 Samuel 17:13
  • 1 Samuel 17:14
  • 1 Samuel 17:15
  • 1 Samuel 17:19
  • 1 Samuel 17:31
  • 1 Samuel 17:32
  • 1 Samuel 17:33
  • 1 Samuel 17:34
  • 1 Samuel 17:37
  • 1 Samuel 17:38
  • 1 Samuel 17:39
  • 1 Samuel 17:55
  • 1 Samuel 17:57
  • 1 Samuel 17:58
  • 1 Samuel 18:1
  • 1 Samuel 18:2
  • 1 Samuel 18:5
  • 1 Samuel 18:6
  • 1 Samuel 18:7
  • 1 Samuel 18:8
  • 1 Samuel 18:9
  • 1 Samuel 18:10
  • 1 Samuel 18:11
  • 1 Samuel 18:12
  • 1 Samuel 18:13
  • 1 Samuel 18:15
  • 1 Samuel 18:17
  • 1 Samuel 18:18
  • 1 Samuel 18:19
  • 1 Samuel 18:20
  • 1 Samuel 18:21
  • 1 Samuel 18:22
  • 1 Samuel 18:23
  • 1 Samuel 18:24
  • 1 Samuel 18:25
  • 1 Samuel 18:27
  • 1 Samuel 18:28
  • 1 Samuel 18:29
  • 1 Samuel 18:30
  • 1 Samuel 19:1
  • 1 Samuel 19:2
  • 1 Samuel 19:4
  • 1 Samuel 19:6
  • 1 Samuel 19:7
  • 1 Samuel 19:9
  • 1 Samuel 19:10
  • 1 Samuel 19:11
  • 1 Samuel 19:14
  • 1 Samuel 19:15
  • 1 Samuel 19:17
  • 1 Samuel 19:18
  • 1 Samuel 19:19
  • 1 Samuel 19:20
  • 1 Samuel 19:21
  • 1 Samuel 19:24
  • 1 Samuel 20:25
  • 1 Samuel 20:26
  • 1 Samuel 20:27
  • 1 Samuel 20:28
  • 1 Samuel 20:30
  • 1 Samuel 20:32
  • 1 Samuel 20:33
  • 1 Samuel 21:7
  • 1 Samuel 21:10
  • 1 Samuel 21:11
  • 1 Samuel 22:6
  • 1 Samuel 22:7
  • 1 Samuel 22:9
  • 1 Samuel 22:12
  • 1 Samuel 22:13
  • 1 Samuel 22:21
  • 1 Samuel 22:22
  • 1 Samuel 23:7
  • 1 Samuel 23:8
  • 1 Samuel 23:9
  • 1 Samuel 23:10
  • 1 Samuel 23:11
  • 1 Samuel 23:12
  • 1 Samuel 23:13
  • 1 Samuel 23:14
  • 1 Samuel 23:15
  • 1 Samuel 23:16
  • 1 Samuel 23:17
  • 1 Samuel 23:19
  • 1 Samuel 23:21
  • 1 Samuel 23:24
  • 1 Samuel 23:25
  • 1 Samuel 23:26
  • 1 Samuel 23:27
  • 1 Samuel 23:28
  • 1 Samuel 24:1
  • 1 Samuel 24:2
  • 1 Samuel 24:3
  • 1 Samuel 24:4
  • 1 Samuel 24:5
  • 1 Samuel 24:7
  • 1 Samuel 24:8
  • 1 Samuel 24:9
  • 1 Samuel 24:16
  • 1 Samuel 24:22
  • 1 Samuel 25:44
  • 1 Samuel 26:1
  • 1 Samuel 26:2
  • 1 Samuel 26:3
  • 1 Samuel 26:4
  • 1 Samuel 26:5
  • 1 Samuel 26:6
  • 1 Samuel 26:7
  • 1 Samuel 26:12
  • 1 Samuel 26:17
  • 1 Samuel 26:21
  • 1 Samuel 26:25
  • 1 Samuel 27:1
  • 1 Samuel 27:4
  • 1 Samuel 28:3
  • 1 Samuel 28:4
  • 1 Samuel 28:5
  • 1 Samuel 28:6
  • 1 Samuel 28:7
  • 1 Samuel 28:8
  • 1 Samuel 28:9
  • 1 Samuel 28:10
  • 1 Samuel 28:12
  • 1 Samuel 28:13
  • 1 Samuel 28:14
  • 1 Samuel 28:15
  • 1 Samuel 28:20
  • 1 Samuel 28:21
  • 1 Samuel 28:25
  • 1 Samuel 29:3
  • 1 Samuel 29:5
  • 1 Samuel 31:2
  • 1 Samuel 31:3
  • 1 Samuel 31:4
  • 1 Samuel 31:5
  • 1 Samuel 31:6
  • 1 Samuel 31:7
  • 1 Samuel 31:8
  • 1 Samuel 31:11
  • 1 Samuel 31:12

2 Samuel (57)

  • 2 Samuel 1:1
  • 2 Samuel 1:2
  • 2 Samuel 1:4
  • 2 Samuel 1:5
  • 2 Samuel 1:6
  • 2 Samuel 1:12
  • 2 Samuel 1:17
  • 2 Samuel 1:21
  • 2 Samuel 1:22
  • 2 Samuel 1:23
  • 2 Samuel 1:24
  • 2 Samuel 2:4
  • 2 Samuel 2:5
  • 2 Samuel 2:7
  • 2 Samuel 2:8
  • 2 Samuel 2:10
  • 2 Samuel 2:12
  • 2 Samuel 2:15
  • 2 Samuel 3:1
  • 2 Samuel 3:6
  • 2 Samuel 3:7
  • 2 Samuel 3:8
  • 2 Samuel 3:10
  • 2 Samuel 3:13
  • 2 Samuel 3:14
  • 2 Samuel 4:1
  • 2 Samuel 4:2
  • 2 Samuel 4:4
  • 2 Samuel 4:8
  • 2 Samuel 4:10
  • 2 Samuel 5:2
  • 2 Samuel 6:16
  • 2 Samuel 6:20
  • 2 Samuel 6:23
  • 2 Samuel 7:15
  • 2 Samuel 9:1
  • 2 Samuel 9:2
  • 2 Samuel 9:3
  • 2 Samuel 9:6
  • 2 Samuel 9:7
  • 2 Samuel 9:9
  • 2 Samuel 12:7
  • 2 Samuel 16:5
  • 2 Samuel 16:8
  • 2 Samuel 19:17
  • 2 Samuel 19:24
  • 2 Samuel 21:1
  • 2 Samuel 21:2
  • 2 Samuel 21:4
  • 2 Samuel 21:6
  • 2 Samuel 21:7
  • 2 Samuel 21:8
  • 2 Samuel 21:11
  • 2 Samuel 21:12
  • 2 Samuel 21:13
  • 2 Samuel 21:14
  • 2 Samuel 22:1

1 Chronicles (22)

  • 1 Chronicles 5:10
  • 1 Chronicles 8:33
  • 1 Chronicles 9:39
  • 1 Chronicles 10:2
  • 1 Chronicles 10:3
  • 1 Chronicles 10:4
  • 1 Chronicles 10:5
  • 1 Chronicles 10:6
  • 1 Chronicles 10:7
  • 1 Chronicles 10:8
  • 1 Chronicles 10:11
  • 1 Chronicles 10:12
  • 1 Chronicles 10:13
  • 1 Chronicles 11:2
  • 1 Chronicles 12:1
  • 1 Chronicles 12:2
  • 1 Chronicles 12:19
  • 1 Chronicles 12:23
  • 1 Chronicles 12:29
  • 1 Chronicles 13:3
  • 1 Chronicles 15:29
  • 1 Chronicles 26:28

Psalms (5)

  • Psalms 18:1
  • Psalms 52:1
  • Psalms 54:1
  • Psalms 57:1
  • Psalms 59:1

Isaiah (1)

  • Isaiah 10:29

Acts (1)

  • Acts 13:21

Name variants & nicknames

  • Saúl — Spanish
  • Saulo — Portuguese
  • Shaul — Hebrew form

Notable people with this name

Saul Bellow

Nobel Prize-winning American novelist

American (1915–2005)

Saul Williams

American poet and recording artist

American (1972–)

Related names

[merged] Jonathan

given of God

David

well-beloved, dear

Samuel

heard of God; asked of God

Abner

father of light

[merged] Benjamin

son of the right hand

Learn more

Read about Saul on Wikipedia

View structured data on Wikidata (Q160427)