Paullus (/ˈpaʊləs/ or /ˈpɔːləs/) is a Latin praenomen, or personal name, used throughout Roman history.
[1][2] The masculine praenomen Paullus was not widely used at Rome, but was used by gentes Aemilia and Fabia, which also used it as a cognomen.
Both gentes had a long history of using rare and archaic praenomina.
The feminine form, Paulla or Polla, was one of the most common praenomina in both patrician and plebeian gentes, including the Aemilii, Caecilii, Cornelii, Flaminii, Fulvii, Licinii, Minucii, Sergii, Servilii, Sulpicii, and Valerii.
Chase believed that the name was originally a cognomen that was occasionally used as a praenomen, but this opinion seems inconsistent with the usual practice, and the frequency with which the feminine form of the name was used as a praenomen.