Samuel
Samuel was the 18th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,334 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 17th; the most babies were born in 2001 (14,813). Over the last ten years it has moved up 5 places. More babies were named Samuel in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning Meaning disputed · Hebrew
Say it SAM-yoo-ul /ˈsæmjuəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #18 boys, up 7 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 8,334boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 200114,813 babies
- Total since 1880
- 823,085babies recorded
What does the name Samuel mean?
Samuel is the Hebrew name of the prophet who anointed Israel's first kings. Its meaning is disputed: DMNES gives 'name of God' or 'God has heard', and Wiktionary gives 'God has set'. In 1 Samuel 1:20, Hannah explains the name as 'I asked God for him', which the JPS note calls a play on words. DMNES says it was uncommon in England before the Reformation.
שְׁמוּאֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “Shemuel”)
How sure is this? Disputed. Three readings ('name of God', 'God has heard', 'God has set'), plus the biblical wordplay.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Samuel'
- Hebrew Bible, I Samuel 1.20, JPS Tanakh: Gender-Sensitive Edition, with translator's note (via Sefaria)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (names.zip, yob*.txt), team3 computation
- Wikidata item Q629347
- Wiktionary, entry 'Samuel'
Nicknames for Samuel
The usual nicknames for Samuel are Sam and Sammy. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Samuel in the last five years, 5 were named Sam, against 4 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam · also for Samantha, Samara, Samson | Traditional | #647 | 2,086 |
| Sammy · also for Samantha, Sam | Traditional | #1,864 | 534 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Samuels go by each one.
Samuel popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,889 since 1890, 8 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #18 | 8,334 |
| 2020 | #25 | 8,594 |
| 2010 | #24 | 11,971 |
| 2000 | #28 | 14,188 |
| 1990 | #45 | 10,894 |
| 1980 | #54 | 6,014 |
| 1970 | #62 | 4,558 |
| 1960 | #91 | 4,711 |
| 1950 | #62 | 5,227 |
| 1940 | #65 | 3,364 |
| 1930 | #55 | 3,531 |
| 1920 | #44 | 4,654 |
| 1910 | #32 | 1,129 |
| 1900 | #33 | 877 |
| 1890 | #20 | 815 |
| 1880 | #17 | 1,024 |
How popular is Samuel, counting every spelling?
Samuel is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #22 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #18 for Samuel on its own. Together these spellings went to 8,357 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samuel | 8,334 | #18 | 41,734 |
| Sammuel | 23 | #4,513 | 125 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Samuel?
8,334 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Samuel (2.31 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Samuel born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 23. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.0 children named Samuel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Samuel?
About 621,400 people born in the US named Samuel are alive today, with a median age of 28; half are between 16 and 43. That makes Samuel 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.
Samuel by state
How common Samuel was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (2.2×), Alaska (1.9×), Wyoming (1.8×), Vermont (1.8×), Alabama (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Illinois, California, Minnesota.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Samuel: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Samuel, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Samuel · Sibling names for Samuel
Questions about the name Samuel
What does Samuel mean?
The meaning of Samuel is disputed: Three readings ('name of God', 'God has heard', 'God has set'), plus the biblical wordplay.
How popular is the name Samuel?
Samuel was the 18th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,334 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 17th; the most babies were born in 2001 (14,813). Over the last ten years it has moved up 5 places. More babies were named Samuel in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Samuel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Samuel in the US.
Where is Samuel most popular?
In 2021–2025, Samuel was most common in District of Columbia (10.64 per 1,000 boys), followed by Alaska and Wyoming.