Paul was a common enough one in the Roman world, with variations such as Paullus, Polus or Pollus, and it means 'small,' either in an affectionate way or as a pejorative.
This was the name by which the apostle Paul introduced himself in all his letters to the churches. This is so evident that we seldom pause to ponder what this might mean.
Paul was born into an observant Jewish family in Tarsus in Cilicia (Acts 21:39) early in the 1st Cent. He was, as he says in Phil 3:5, "circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee . . . as for legalistic righteousness, faultless." We do not know for how many generations the family had lived in Tarsus. However, the family must have done well for it to become wealthy enough to qualify for citizenship of the city. More important than the family's possession of Tarsian citizenship was its acquisition of Roman citizenship (Acts 16:37-38). Since Roman citizenship was an honour granted only rarely to provincials, this suggests strongly that one of the family patriarchs must have rendered some conspicuous services to a military proconsul such as Pompey or Mark Anthony.
Roman Names
praenomen — nomen — cognomen
Gaius — Julius — Caesar
As a Roman citizen, and part of the law, Paul would have had three names—a clan or family nomen (which would immediately identify the person's status in society, a highborn or a pleb), which is preceded by a personal praenomen, and followed by a more commonly used cognomen. Thus, Julius Caesar's full name was Gaius Julius Caesar. His friend, who would eventually stab him in the back, was Marcus Junius Brutus. Just to say that you are a Julius is enough to get you a ticket without having to wait in the queue.
Greeks and provincials who gained Roman citizenship would keep their Greek name as the cognomen, to which they would usually add the names of their patrons to whom they owed their citizenship as their nomen and/or praenomen. It is uncertain which part of the official tria nomina is Paul; very possibly it was his cognomen. It is also possible that Paul may be what was a signum (or supernomen), i.e., a nickname. We can never be sure. It also remains uncertain how the name 'Saul' is related to his official name. Probably, Saul was the the name he used when in Jewish company but was never part of his official name. It used to be accepted by many that Saul changed his name to Paul because of Sergius Paulus, the proconsul of Cyprus whom Saul and Barnabas led so miraculously to the Lord, perhaps as a kind of trophy. First proposed by Jerome, it has long since been debunked.
In Roman society your name was your brand. Giving your full name would have advertised the prestige of your family and upbringing. Paul, however, never used his full name. Unlike many of us in the church today who require being properly addressed as Doctor, Sir, or Reverend or even Senior Pastor, Paul was, always and everywhere in the New Testament, simply Paul. Taking his own teaching seriously never to put any confidence in the things of the flesh, Paul reminds us in Phil 3:5-8 that, though he could have muscled the prestige of his upbringing to work in his favour he now considers them loss for the sake of Christ, "I consider them rubbish," he says, "so that I might gain Christ." Paul was simply Paul. That is humility and a dying to the self we can all emulate.
☰ Colin J. Hemer, "The Name of Paul," Tyndale Bulletin 36 (1985): 179-183. pdf 
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