Saul is one of those names that sounds like it was always going to be taken seriously. Current rank #559, with 42,751 total SSA bearers — it has been a consistent presence in the American name landscape for generations, and its 2006 peak reflects sustained Latino community use as well as broader appreciation for Old Testament names with substance.
From King to Convert
Saul comes from the Hebrew Sha'ul, meaning "asked for" or "prayed for." In the Bible it carries two enormous stories: Saul was the first king of Israel, a tragic figure whose reign ended in defeat and suicide; and Saul of Tarsus was the name of Paul the Apostle before his conversion on the road to Damascus. Both stories are dramatic, and both contribute to the name's gravitas. In Hebrew-origin naming, few names carry this much narrative weight in four letters.
Better Call Saul
The 2015 Breaking Bad spinoff was the most significant pop-culture moment for this name in decades. Bob Odenkirk's Saul Goodman — later Jimmy McGill — made the name feel simultaneously sleazy, sympathetic, and unforgettable. The show ran through 2022 and won critical acclaim. Whether that association helps or hurts depends entirely on the parent: some love the complexity, others would rather not have their son's name explained via a morally ambiguous TV lawyer. The show's legacy for the name is probably net positive — it created a cultural image that's vivid without being toxic.
Saul vs. Solomon vs. Samuel
All three are Hebrew Old Testament names with strong resonance and similar usage communities. Samuel is the safe choice : rank #20, universally legible. Solomon has wisdom connotations but heavier sound. Saul is the edgiest of the three: shorter, sharper, carrying more complicated biblical biography. For a sibling pair, Saul and Solomon might be trying too hard, but Saul and Ezra hit different registers of the same Old Testament seriousness.