Meaning and history
Sam is an English short form of Samuel, Samson, Samantha and other names beginning with Sam, so its precise meaning depends on the longer name. Samuel is usually interpreted as "name of God" or "God has heard," while Samantha has a later and less certain history. Sam has long been used independently for both sexes; notable bearers include soul singer Sam Cooke and actor Sam Elliott, while literature features Sam Spade and Tolkien's Samwise Gamgee.
20062006: 586 births, rank #461
2007: 615 births, rank #451
2008: 608 births, rank #457
2009: 582 births, rank #468
2010: 550 births, rank #471
20112011: 546 births, rank #481
2012: 510 births, rank #517
2013: 480 births, rank #552
2014: 523 births, rank #533
2015: 523 births, rank #546
20162016: 478 births, rank #579
2017: 528 births, rank #537
2018: 453 births, rank #604
2019: 443 births, rank #614
2020: 402 births, rank #655
20212021: 412 births, rank #658
2022: 418 births, rank #658
2023: 403 births, rank #676
2024: 425 births, rank #650
20252025: 428 births, rank #647
Sam rose from #650 to #647 for boys between 2024 and 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 1918, with 2,506 births.