| Leroy | Paul | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | the king | Small, humble |
| Origin | french | French |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | luh-ROY | POL |
| Syllables | 2 | 1 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1924 (3,922) | 1957 (27,012) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 1,316 |
| Trend | Vintage | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Leroy | Paul |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 1,596 | 8,125 |
| 2010s | 2,173 | 19,030 |
| 2000s | 2,159 | 30,964 |
| 1990s | 3,554 | 58,931 |
| 1980s | 5,600 | 104,397 |
| 1970s | 8,408 | 136,390 |
| 1960s | 15,220 | 242,503 |
| 1950s | 24,588 | 253,202 |
| 1940s | 33,864 | 183,364 |
| 1930s | 36,255 | 125,774 |
| 1920s | 37,871 | 132,384 |
| 1910s | 21,275 | 78,216 |
| 1900s | 4,300 | 12,636 |
| 1890s | 2,544 | 8,181 |
| 1880s | 1,574 | 4,196 |
From the Old French 'le roi', meaning 'the king', originally a Norman nickname or occupational byname. A literal 'the king' name.
Paul comes from the Latin Paulus, “small, humble.” The apostle Paul — originally Saul of Tarsus — became one of the foundational figures of Christianity, spreading the name across the world.
Paul is more popular than Leroy today: about 1,316 US babies were given the name Paul in 2025, compared with 0 named Leroy.
Leroy means the king (french origin), while Paul means Small, humble (French origin).
In US records, Leroy first appears in 0 and Paul in 1880, so Leroy has the longer recorded history.