Pawel
A masculine Polish name derived from the Latin name Paulus meaning "small" or "humble".
Name Census estimates that about 438 living Americans carry the first name Pawel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Pawel today is around 29 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Pawel births was 1994 (29 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Pawel. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
438
~ 1 in 782,544 Americans
Peak year
1994
29 babies that year
Average age
29
years old
2016 SSA rank
#10,449
Tracked since 1980
Popularity
Pawel: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Pawel from the 1980s through to the 2010s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 204 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Pawel by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Pawel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Pawels live
The SSA's state-level files cover 3 states and territories. Illinois, New York, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Pawel, while New Jersey, New York, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 74 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Pawel
The name Pawel has its origins in the Polish language and culture. It is the Polish form of the name Paul, which is derived from the Latin name Paulus. The name Paulus is believed to have originated from the Roman family name Paulli, which was a patronymic name meaning "little one" or "small."
The name Paul gained significant importance in Christianity as it was the name given to the apostle who was originally known as Saul of Tarsus. After his conversion to Christianity, he took the name Paul and became one of the most influential figures in the early Christian church.
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul is mentioned extensively in several books, including the Acts of the Apostles and the epistles attributed to him. His writings and teachings played a crucial role in shaping the doctrines and practices of early Christianity.
The earliest recorded use of the name Pawel in Poland dates back to the 10th century. It became particularly popular in the country after the Christianization of Poland in the 10th and 11th centuries, as the name was associated with the revered apostle Paul.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Pawel. One of the most famous was Pawel Wlodkowic (c. 1370-1435), a Polish scholar, diplomat, and rector of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. He is renowned for his defense of the rights of non-Christians and his contributions to international law.
Another significant figure was Pawel Jasienica (1909-1970), a Polish historian and writer who authored numerous books on Polish history and culture. His works were widely read and influential in shaping the public's understanding of Poland's past.
Pawel Edelman (1925-2022) was a Polish-Jewish writer and linguist who survived the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising during World War II. He wrote extensively about his experiences during the Holocaust and was a prominent figure in preserving the memory of the Jewish community in Poland.
Pawel Strzelecki (1797-1873) was a Polish explorer and geologist who made significant contributions to the exploration and mapping of Australia. He is credited with naming the Snowy Mountains and Mount Kosciuszko, among other discoveries.
Pawel Kurtyka (1960-1988) was a renowned Polish mountaineer and rock climber who achieved numerous first ascents and difficult climbs in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges. He tragically lost his life during an expedition in Pakistan at the young age of 28.
People
Pawel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Pawel as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with P
Other first names starting with P with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Pawel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Pawel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 438 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Pawel going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 782,544 US residents.
Is Pawel a common name?
We classify Pawel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 449 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Pawel most popular?
The single biggest year for Pawel was 1994, when 29 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Pawel is about 29 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Pawel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Pawel in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.