Povilis as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Povilis

What is the meaning of the name Povilis ?

The baby name Povilis is a Male name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced IPA: /poˈviːlɪs/; respelling: poh-VEE-lis.

Povilis is Lithuanian in Origin.

Povilis is a rare Lithuanian masculine given name, generally treated as a regional or archival spelling of Povilas, the standard Lithuanian equivalent of Paul. It descends from Latin Paulus, meaning “small” or “humble,” a virtue-name popularized by Saint Paul the Apostle. The -is ending aligns with Lithuanian masculine morphology and appears in documents alongside Povilas, Povilus, and Povilius.

The name spread in Lithuania following Christianization in the late Middle Ages and remained steady through parish registers and emigrant records; today Povilis is uncommon, with Povilas and Paulius preferred. Related forms across Europe include Latvian Pāvils; Polish Paweł; Czech and Russian Pavel; Slovak Pavol; Ukrainian Pavlo; South Slavic Pavle; Scandinavian Povel; English and French Paul; Italian Paolo; Spanish Pablo; Portuguese Paulo. All share the core meaning of modesty and smallness associated with the Latin root.

⚙ Povilis turns up in none of the birth registries or name datasets we cover. Most often that means a rare name, a regional or heritage one, or a recent coinage. By any reading, it's an exceptionally uncommon choice.