Explore the Family Name Saul
The meaning of Saul
1. English, French, German, Italian, and Jewish: from the personal name Saul (Hebrew Shaul ‘asked-for’), the name of the king of Israel whose story is recounted in the first book of Samuel. In spite of his success in uniting Israel and his military prowess, Saul had a troubled reign, not least because of his long conflict with the young David, who eventually succeeded him. Perhaps for this reason, the personal name was not particularly common in medieval times. A further disincentive to its popularity as a Christian name was the fact that it was the original name of Saint Paul, borne by him while he was persecuting Christians, and rejected by him after his conversion to Christianity. It may in part have arisen as a nickname for someone who had played the part of the Biblical king in a religious play. 2. English: variant of Sall. 3. English and Irish: variant of Sale 2.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Saul in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Saul has seen a slight increase in frequency yet a drop in its overall ranking in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the surname was ranked 4685, with a count of 6916, equivalent to 2.56 per 100k people. By 2010, the number of individuals bearing the Saul surname had grown by 1.89% to 7047, but its rank had slipped to 4981 and the proportion per 100k people dipped by 6.64% to 2.39.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,685 | #4,981 | -6.32% |
| Count | 6,916 | 7,047 | 1.89% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.56 | 2.39 | -6.64% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Saul
The ethnicity break-down of those with the Saul surname saw shifts across all categories between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. The largest proportional increases were observed in the Hispanic, Black, and Asian/Pacific Islander categories, with changes of 35.52%, 31.11%, and 29.56%, respectively. The proportion identifying as Two or more races also increased by 22.70%. However, individuals identifying as White experienced a decrease of 4.64%, dropping from 84.83% in 2000 to 80.89% in 2010. Similarly, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category decreased by 9.78%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 84.83% | 80.89% | -4.64% |
| Black | 6.75% | 8.85% | 31.11% |
| Hispanic | 3.35% | 4.54% | 35.52% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.59% | 2.06% | 29.56% |
| Two or More Races | 1.63% | 2% | 22.7% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.84% | 1.66% | -9.78% |
Saul ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Saul is British & Irish, which comprises 41.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.5%) and Ashkenazi Jewish (13.3%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 41.7% |
| French & German | 22.5% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 13.3% |
| Other | 22.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Saul
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Saul have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 70.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 70.00% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 69.50% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 69.50% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 69.00% |
What Saul haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Saul is R-M467, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M467 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and G-PF3345, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Monk, Parsons, Dickson, Rose, Stratton, Potter, Raymond, Burgess, Linn, Padgett.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Saul surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to King Louis XVI
The rule of France by men of the House of Bourbon began with King Henri IV in 1589 C.E. and continued until the beheading of his direct paternal descendant King Louis XVI in 1793. Several years ago, researchers analyzed a mummified head and a blood-soaked cloth that they believed might belong to the two kings, and concluded that the royal paternal line belonged to haplogroup G. In a more recent study, however, a different set of researchers tested three living men who are direct descendants of the Bourbon kings. Their efforts revealed that the male lineage of the House of Bourbon is actually a branch of haplogroup R-M405.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Saul have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Saul" Surname 37.7%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Saul" Surname 21.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Saul" Surname 15.6%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Saul" Surname 18.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Saul?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Saul are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition