How Many Famous Literary Protagonists Are Named Paul?

Written on 08/24/2026
Astrid Aillume

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How Many Famous Literary Protagonists Are Named Paul?

At least three major ones.

At least three major literary novels feature a male protagonist named Paul: D. H. Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers, Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, and Frank Herbert’s Dune.

The Three Pauls


How Many Famous Literary Protagonists Are Named Paul?

Key Numbers

  • 3 — major literary novels represented here by a protagonist named Paul
  • 1913 — Sons and Lovers
  • 1929 — All Quiet on the Western Front
  • 1965 — Dune
  • 52 years — span from the earliest to the latest of these three publications

One-Sentence Finding

At least three major literary protagonists share the first name Paul, appearing in novels published in 1913, 1929, and 1965.

Sources

D. H. Lawrence — Sons and Lovers

Erich Maria Remarque — All Quiet on the Western Front

Frank Herbert — Dune