Saul is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning "asked for" or "petitioned". It is derived from the Hebrew word "sha'ul", which means "to ask" or "to cry out". The name Saul has a rich history and appears several times in the Bible.
In the Old Testament, Saul was the first king of the ancient Kingdom of Israel. He was chosen by the prophet Samuel to become king after God rejected King Agag for his cruelty towards the Israelites. However, Saul's reign was short-lived as he disobeyed God by sparing King Agag and plundering the spoils of war before offering them up to God. As a result, God took away his kingdom and gave it to David, who later became king.
The name Saul also appears in the New Testament as Paul's original Hebrew name. Paul was born in Tarsus, Turkey, but was raised and educated in Jerusalem under Gamaliel, a renowned teacher of the law. He was originally known by his Hebrew name Saul before converting to Christianity and taking on the Greek form of his name, Paul.
In modern times, Saul has become popular as a given name for boys, particularly among Jewish families. It is also used as a surname and appears frequently in literature, film, and television. For example, it was the last name of the main character in the hit series Breaking Bad, Walter White.
Overall, the name Saul has a strong historical significance and has been associated with important figures throughout history. Its Hebrew origins give it a rich cultural heritage that continues to resonate today.
Based on the statistics provided for the name Saul in the United States between 1980 and 2004, we can observe an overall fluctuation in its popularity over this period.
The name Saul experienced some years with higher birth counts, such as 1982 with 7 births, followed by another peak in 1989 with 8 births. However, these peaks were not consistently maintained throughout the period, as seen in the years where there were only 5 births (e.g., 1980, 1988, 1991, and 1992).
The total number of births for the name Saul during this time frame is 74. This shows that while it was not one of the most common names during these years, there were still a notable number of babies named Saul in the United States between 1980 and 2004.