Samuel
Hebrew Shemu'el, explained as both name of God and God has heard. The prophet Samuel anoints Israel's first kings in the books bearing his name.
Samuel in 2025
Samuel was given to 8,342 babies in the United States in 2025, making it the 27th most popular name of the year. That is roughly one in every 397 babies born.
The history of Samuel
Samuel reached its highest point in 2001, when 14,845 babies were given the name, ranking 35th that year. Its best-ever ranking was 26th, in 2024.
Across the 146 years of records since 1880, 823,085 babies have been named Samuel. Half of them were born before 1991, which places the name's centre of gravity with Millennials.
Samuel by decade
| Decade | Babies named Samuel | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 9,129 | 33 |
| 1890s | 7,873 | 84 |
| 1900s | 8,173 | 109 |
| 1910s | 34,264 | 83 |
| 1920s | 43,599 | 101 |
| 1930s | 32,325 | 129 |
| 1940s | 43,322 | 123 |
| 1950s | 53,985 | 134 |
| 1960s | 44,512 | 148 |
| 1970s | 48,462 | 99 |
| 1980s | 73,975 | 75 |
| 1990s | 125,906 | 38 |
| 2000s | 138,909 | 30 |
| 2010s | 108,270 | 32 |
| 2020s | 50,381 | 26 |
Where Samuel is heading
Samuel has fallen 24% over the past decade, from 10,917 babies in 2015 to 8,342 in 2025.
Names like Samuel
Names that rose and fell at the same time as Samuel.