Samson
Samson was the 477th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 639 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 142 places. More babies were named Samson in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning of the sun (biblical) · Hebrew
Say it SAM-sun /ˈsæmsən/
- Rank in 2025
- #477 boys, up 89 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 639boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025639 babies
- Total since 1880
- 12,879babies recorded
What does the name Samson mean?
Samson is the English form of Hebrew Shimshon, the strongman among the judges of Israel whose story is told in Judges 13 to 16. DMNES explains the name as "of the sun," which links it with Hebrew shemesh, sun. It came into English through Greek and Latin Bibles; Wiktionary also traces Middle English Sampson. DMNES notes that in the Middle Ages the name was used mostly in the British Isles and France, where it was moderately common in the 12th century, and lists two early saints named Samson.
שִׁמְשׁוֹן (Biblical Hebrew, “Samson (Shimshon)”)שֶׁמֶשׁ (Biblical Hebrew, “sun”)
How sure is this? Probable. 'Of the sun' is the usual reading of Shimshon; the Bible itself does not explain the name.
Related names: Sampson, Shimshon, Sansón, Sam.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean sky, star, moon or sun.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Sampson', DMNES (Durham University)
- Judges 13:24, The JPS Tanakh: Gender-Sensitive Edition (via Sefaria), Jewish Publication Society / Sefaria
- Wiktionary, entry 'Samson' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
Nicknames for Samson
The usual nicknames for Samson are Sam. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Samson in the last five years, 77 were named Sam, against 338 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam · also for Samuel, Samantha, Samara | Traditional | #647 | 2,086 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Samsons go by each one.
Samson popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #477 | 639 |
| 2020 | #566 | 495 |
| 2010 | #863 | 244 |
| 2000 | #897 | 174 |
| 1990 | #920 | 126 |
| 1980 | #965 | 87 |
| 1970 | #1,458 | 34 |
| 1960 | #1,850 | 20 |
| 1950 | #1,493 | 25 |
| 1940 | #1,791 | 16 |
| 1930 | #1,809 | 18 |
| 1920 | #1,875 | 19 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | #1,283 | 6 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Samson, counting every spelling?
Samson has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #479 for boys in 2025, against #477 on the official list, because Kason/Kasen/Casen and Mohamed/Mohammad/Mohammed and Chosen/Chozen/Chozyn move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Samson?
639 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Samson (0.18 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Samson born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 13 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Samson.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Samson?
About 12,000 people born in the US named Samson are alive today, with a median age of 13; half are between 6 and 27. That makes Samson mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Samson by state
How common Samson was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (5.5×), Kansas (2.1×), Kentucky (1.9×), Oklahoma (1.8×), Tennessee (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Samson: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Samson, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Samson · Sibling names for Samson
Questions about the name Samson
What does Samson mean?
Samson means “of the sun (biblical)” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Samson?
Samson was the 477th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 639 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 142 places. More babies were named Samson in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Samson a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Samson in the US.
Where is Samson most popular?
In 2021–2025, Samson was most common in Hawaii (1.74 per 1,000 boys), followed by Kansas and Kentucky.