Samuel
- Pronunciation
- [Sa-mu-el]
- Gender
- Male
- Meaning
- Asked Of God
- Origin
- Hebrew
About the Name Samuel
Samuel descends from the Hebrew Shmu'el, traditionally interpreted as "heard of God" or "name of God" — etymologists are split between shama (heard) and shem (name) as the first element. The biblical Samuel is one of the most consequential figures in the Hebrew Bible: the last of the judges of ancient Israel, the prophet who anointed both Saul and David as Israel's first kings, and the author (per tradition) of the books that bear his name.
The Hebrew name passed through the Greek Septuagint as Samouel and entered English directly. Samuel was sparingly used in medieval England but was heavily revived by the Puritan Reformation of the 17th century, alongside other Old Testament names like Joshua, Jeremiah, and Caleb. The Puritan-era influence carried forward to colonial America, producing a long line of notable American Samuels: Samuel Adams (Founding Father, brewer, signer of the Declaration), Samuel Morse (inventor of the telegraph and Morse code), Samuel Clemens (better known as Mark Twain), and Samuel Beckett (Irish playwright, Waiting for Godot).
Samuel held a US top-25 boys' rank in nearly every year since 1990, peaking around #20 in the early 2010s. The name's appeal is its dignified biblical weight combined with a tonal warmth — three soft syllables, classical without being heavy, religiously anchored without being flashy. Common nicknames Sam and Sammy each open into different registers (Sam compact and adult, Sammy warmer and youthful); the rarer Sami is gender-neutral. International forms include Samuele (Italian), Samuelle (rare French feminine), and the Arabic Samuil.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration name data, 1880–2024 (methodology). By Marvin Tang.
Quick Facts About Samuel
US Popularity History (1880–2025)
Annual US births named Samuel by gender, from US Social Security Administration records. Peak year: 2001 with 14,813 boys named Samuel (boy rank #26 that year).
Where it stands today: in 2025, ranked #18 for boys (8,334 US births). That's 8 places above its earlier 2001 peak — the name is more popular now than it has ever been.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Limitations: US birth-certificate data only; names appearing fewer than 5 times in a given year are suppressed for privacy; spelling variants are counted separately. For names that ranked outside the US top 100 before year 2000, only the years they reached the top 100 are shown — the chart may have gaps for less-popular historical names.
Paste the snippet below on any HTML page. Includes a credit link back to 9BabyNames — please keep it intact.
Where in the US Is Samuel Most Popular?
Average boy-name rank within each state across 2016–2025 SSA records. A lower number means the name appears closer to the top of that state's boys-name rankings — a per-capita measure that isn't biased toward large states. For Samuel the strongest states are Alabama, District of Columbia, Tennessee.
Strongest boys-name states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | #10 | 1,601 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | #13 | 368 |
| 3 | Tennessee | #13 | 2,310 |
| 4 | Arkansas | #15 | 873 |
| 5 | Washington | #15 | 2,147 |
| 6 | South Carolina | #15 | 1,310 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | #15 | 1,118 |
| 8 | Oregon | #16 | 1,060 |
| 9 | Utah | #16 | 1,248 |
| 10 | Idaho | #18 | 570 |
Weakest boys-name states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota | #48 | 193 |
| 2 | Nevada | #47 | 543 |
| 3 | Hawaii | #47 | 188 |
| 4 | Delaware | #46 | 193 |
| 5 | Rhode Island | #43 | 222 |
| 6 | Illinois | #37 | 2,464 |
| 7 | California | #37 | 8,660 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | #36 | 290 |
| 9 | Michigan | #36 | 1,903 |
| 10 | Connecticut | #36 | 804 |
Source: SSA state-level baby-name dataset 2016–2025. States with fewer than 3 years of data for Samuel in this window are excluded. Births < 5 in a given state-year are suppressed by SSA for privacy.
Famous People Named Samuel
5 notable figures from history and culture who share the name Samuel.
- Samuel Adams — Politician (1722)
- Samuel Beckett was an Irish playwright, novelist, theatre director and poet.
- Samuel Coleridge was an English lyrical poet, critic and philosopher.
- Samuel Colt — Scientist (1814)
- Samuel L. Jackson — Movie Actor (1948)
Looking for names like Samuel?
A dedicated page with 60+ related names — spelling variants, rhymes, alliterations, same-origin matches, and shared meaning concepts — lives at its own URL so each kind of similarity gets a deeper treatment than fits here.
Compare Samuel to Other Popular Names
Side-by-side popularity charts and crossover years for Samuel against today's most popular boys-name peers (top 8 by US births in the last 10 years of SSA records).
Samuel Baby Name Ideas
- Ivy or Iris? How to Choose Between Two Short Botanical Names
- Can You Use a Different-Gender Name as an Honor Name? Building a Recognizable Family Connection
- Baby Names for Last Names Starting With T: Keep the T Seam Clear Without Overcorrecting
- What Is Teddy Short For? From Theodore and Edward to Standalone Teddy
- Should First and Middle Names Start With the Same Letter? Testing Alliteration Beyond the Monogram
- Should Sibling Names Have the Same Level of Formality? Pairing Full Classics With Short Modern Names
- Baby Names for Last Names With an Apostrophe: Keep the Full Name Clear on Forms and Aloud
- How to Honor a Relative Who Was Known by a Nickname, Middle Name, or Chosen Name
- Pride and Prejudice Baby Names: From the Bennet Sisters to Quiet Regency References
- Baby Names for Last Names Starting With S: Control the Hiss, Seam, and Rhythm
- Can Initials Count as an Honor Name? Building a Clear Indirect Namesake
- Should You Use a Family Name From Someone You Never Met? Researching an Honor Before Making It Personal
- When Grandparents Use a Different Nickname for the Baby: Setting a Family Pattern That Can Last
- When a Baby's First and Last Names Start With the Same Sound: Testing Alliteration in Real Life
- Should a Baby's First and Middle Names Share the Same Style? Building Contrast Without a Mismatch
- Should Sibling Names Have Similar Nickname Range? Balancing Full Forms and Everyday Call Names
- Baby Names for Last Names With First-Syllable Stress: Building Rhythm After a Strong Opening Beat
- Should a Baby's Name Match the Parents' Names? Creating Family Cohesion Without a Theme
- The Best Middle Names for Julian: Pairings That Keep a Three-Syllable Classic Clear
- Who Should See Your Baby Name Shortlist? Getting Useful Feedback Without Turning It Into a Vote