Samuel
Hebrew Shemu’el, read either as “God has heard” or “name of God.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Samuel appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American boys in every year from 1880 to 2025. Its biggest year was 2001, when 14,813 newborn boys received the name, ranking it No. 26 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1880, at No. 17. In 2025 it ranked No. 18 for boys. All told, 823,085 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Sammuel (2,703), Sameul (871), Samael (523) (total births since 1880)
Other names that share a story: Samantha, Hannah, Eli, Sam, Ellie, Adriel
Explore Samuel interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 9,129 | No. 17 |
| 1890s | 7,857 | No. 20 |
| 1900s | 8,149 | No. 30 |
| 1910s | 34,166 | No. 30 |
| 1920s | 43,362 | No. 43 |
| 1930s | 32,135 | No. 55 |
| 1940s | 43,129 | No. 59 |
| 1950s | 53,767 | No. 62 |
| 1960s | 44,247 | No. 64 |
| 1970s | 48,099 | No. 55 |
| 1980s | 73,456 | No. 45 |
| 1990s | 125,597 | No. 27 |
| 2000s | 138,647 | No. 21 |
| 2010s | 108,128 | No. 21 |
| 2020s | 50,328 | No. 17 |
Births and rank shown for boys, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
🍼 Enjoying this? Buy my baby a diaper
Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.