Samuel
Samuel is a male name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "name of God", deriving from the Hebrew Shem (שֵׁם) + ʾĒl. However, from the explanation given in 1 Samuel 1:20, the name could alternatively come from a contraction of the Hebrew שְׁאִלְתִּיו מֵאֵל, meaning "I have asked/borrowed him from God".
Meaning & Origin of Samuel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Samuel is a male name and a surname of Hebrew origin. It means "name of God", deriving from the Hebrew Shem (שֵׁם) + ʾĒl. However, from the explanation given in 1 Samuel 1:20, the name could alternatively come from a contraction of the Hebrew שְׁאִלְתִּיו מֵאֵל, meaning "I have asked/borrowed him from God".
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Samuel
Samuel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 1,024 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2001, when 14,813 Samuels were born — ranking #26 that year. As of 2026, Samuel ranks #20 for baby boys with 8,112 births, gradually falling (-12%). In total, more than 828K Samuels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Samuel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Samuel is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Samuel
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About the name Samuel
Samuel is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 828K births in the dataset. Samuel's peak popularity came in 2001 when it ranked #17. Use the chart and map above to compare Samuel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2001 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- 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.