Shmuel
Shmuel was the 923rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 256 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 919th; the most babies were born in 2025 (256). Over the last ten years it has moved up 93 places. More babies were named Shmuel in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Meaning disputed · Hebrew
Say it SHMOO-el /ˈʃmuəl/
- Rank in 2025
- #923 boys, up 106 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 256boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025256 babies
- Total since 1880
- 5,972babies recorded
What does the name Shmuel mean?
Shmuel is the Hebrew and Yiddish form of Samuel, שְׁמוּאֵל, the prophet who anointed Israel's first kings. Its meaning is debated. DMNES gives two readings, 'name of God' and 'God has heard', while Wiktionary prefers 'God has set' or 'God has placed'. In 1 Samuel 1:20 his mother Hannah names him because she asked him of the Lord, a play on the Hebrew verb for asking rather than a strict etymology.
שְׁמוּאֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “Samuel; meaning debated”)אֵל (Biblical Hebrew, “God”)
How sure is this? Disputed. Readings include 'name of God', 'God has heard' and 'God has set'.
Related names: Samuel, Shmuli, Sam.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Shmuel', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Samuel', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Samuel', DMNES, Durham University
- Hebrew Bible, 1 Samuel 1:20, Hebrew text with JPS translation (via Sefaria), Sefaria
Nicknames for Shmuel
The usual nicknames for Shmuel are Shmuli.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shmuli · Hebrew/Yiddish pet form | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Shmuels go by each one.
Shmuel popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #923 | 256 |
| 2020 | #1,029 | 200 |
| 2010 | #1,058 | 182 |
| 2000 | #1,476 | 84 |
| 1990 | #1,545 | 55 |
| 1980 | #1,800 | 32 |
| 1970 | #2,046 | 20 |
| 1960 | #2,665 | 11 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Shmuel, counting every spelling?
Shmuel has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #886 for boys in 2025, against #923 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Shmuel?
256 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Shmuel (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Shmuel 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 33 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Shmuel.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Shmuel?
About 5,800 people born in the US named Shmuel are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 7 and 27. That makes Shmuel 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.
Shmuel by state
How common Shmuel was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (19.0×), New York (7.6×). In 43 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Shmuel: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Shmuel, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Shmuel · Sibling names for Shmuel
Questions about the name Shmuel
What does Shmuel mean?
The meaning of Shmuel is disputed: Readings include 'name of God', 'God has heard' and 'God has set'.
How popular is the name Shmuel?
Shmuel was the 923rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 256 babies. Its best year was 2022, when it ranked 919th; the most babies were born in 2025 (256). Over the last ten years it has moved up 93 places. More babies were named Shmuel in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Shmuel a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Shmuel in the US.
Where is Shmuel most popular?
In 2021–2025, Shmuel was most common in New Jersey (2.63 per 1,000 boys), followed by New York and Maryland.