PAULL
Paull is a surname of English origin that is derived from the personal name Paul. The name Paul in turn originates from the Latin Paulus, meaning “small” or “humble”. Paull therefore functions as a patronymic surname, indicating that the bearer is a descendant of an ancestor named Paul.
Recorded forms of the name are numerous. Throughout the Christian world it has appeared in more than two hundred different spellings. In England variations such as Paul, Paule and Pawle are found; in Spain and Portugal the forms Paolo and Paulo occur; in Italy Pauli and Polo are used; in Germany the spelling Palle appears; Czech records give Pabel; Hungarian documents contain Pal; and along with these there are patronymic and diminutive derivatives such as Paulson, Pauly, Paolozzi and Pavek.
The earliest extant English record of the surname is from the subsidy rolls of London, where an individual named John Paul is listed in the year 1292, during the reign of King Edward I, known as “The Hammer of the Scots”. A corresponding early German example is the name Ludolf Pauli, described as a burger of Stettin in the year 1325.
In contemporary Britain, Paull is most frequently encountered in the south‑western part of England, particularly in Cornwall. The name is also associated with the place called Paull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, which suggests a possible locational origin for some bearers of the surname. The distribution of the surname within the United Kingdom is further highlighted by its presence in the Isle of Man, especially in the towns of Ramsey and Douglas. Historical records from the 12th century mention an Orcadian man named Johannes Paul living on the island.
The 1881 census of England recorded 2,220 individuals with the surname Paull, making it the 481st most common name of that time. Although the frequency of the name may have changed since then, it has remained a recognizable surname in the UK.
Beyond Britain, the surname has spread to other English‑speaking countries. In Canada it is found mainly in Québec and Ontario, where families often trace their ancestry back to the United Kingdom or the Isle of Man. In the United States the name occurs in states with significant populations of British heritage, particularly on the east coast, though it is less common than more recent immigrant surnames.
The extra l in Paull is a feature that emerged through regional and linguistic variation as surnames became standardised over time. Such orthographic differences are common in English surnames that were originally derived from given names.
Because of its derivation from a Latin personal name that was popularised in Europe through the missionary work and legacy of St Paul, the surname Paull has been described by some sources as being associated with aristocratic lineages. Variants of the surname are found across Europe, reflecting its Latin root; among them are Pavlicek in Czech, Pawliczka in Polish, Pabols in Latvian and Pavle in Serbian. In the United States many cases of the name have been Anglicised or altered to forms such as Paulson, Pell, Poll and Powell.
Overall, the surname Paull is a historically significant patronymic surname of English origin, rooted in the Latin name Paulus and perpetuated through centuries of use in the British Isles and abroad. Its numerous spelling variations and recorded presence in diverse geographic regions illustrate the breadth of its historical and cultural impact.
Typical given names associated with the Paull surname
Male
- Christopher
- David
- James
- John
- Mark
- Michael
- Nicholas
- Richard
- Robert
- Simon
- Stephen
Female
- Amanda
- Carole
- Caroline
- Elizabeth
- Gemma
- Hannah
- Jemma
- Jennifer
- Nichola
- Nicola
- Patricia
- Rebecca
- Sally
- Stephanie
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Paull in...
Braille
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Morse
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There are approximately 1,103 people named Paull in the UK. That makes it roughly the 6,834th most common surname in Britain. Around 17 in a million people in Britain are named Paull.
Origin: English
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: England
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: English
Famous people named Paull
- Richard Paull - Cricketer
- Jennifer Paull - Musician
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.