Samael
Samael, also spelled Smil, Samil, or Samiel, is an archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic tradition—a figure who is the accuser or adversary, seducer, and destroying angel.
- Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
Meaning & Origin of Samael
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Samael, also spelled Smil, Samil, or Samiel, is an archangel in Talmudic and post-Talmudic tradition—a figure who is the accuser or adversary, seducer, and destroying angel.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
The Story of Samael
Samael first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1998, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2022: 62 births, good for #2,296 nationwide. About 59% of every Samael on record arrived during the 2020s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Samael ranks #2,525 for baby boys with 54 births, rising sharply (+57% over the past five years). All told, over 594 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1990s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Samael
Phonetically similar names — useful when Samael is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Smail
- Sawmill
- Smale
- Samiel
- Simal
- Saml
- Semel
- Somal
- Semmel
- Simmel
- Sommeil
- Samal
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Samael
What does the name Samael mean?
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How popular is Samael in 2026?
When was Samael most popular?
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Is Samael a unisex name?
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About the name Samael
Samael is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1998 and has accumulated 594 births in the dataset. Samael's peak popularity came in 2022 when it ranked #2,296. Use the chart and map above to compare Samael's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2022 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "S" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.