Meaning and history
Sámuel derives from the Hebrew Shemuʾel, traditionally interpreted as "name of God" from shem, "name," and ʾel, "God," though another explanation connects the first element with shamaʿ, "to hear," giving the meaning "God has heard." In the Old Testament, Samuel was the last ruling judge, led Israel during conflict with the Philistines, and anointed both Saul, the first king, and his successor David. The name entered common Christian use after the Protestant Reformation and has remained consistently popular in the English-speaking world, ranking among the top 100 U.S. names every year since records began in 1880. Notable bearers include Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Samuel Morse, Samuel Beckett, Samuel L. Jackson, and author Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain.
20062006: 13,652 births, rank #25
2007: 13,367 births, rank #25
2008: 12,774 births, rank #27
2009: 12,181 births, rank #24
2010: 11,971 births, rank #24
20112011: 11,366 births, rank #26
2012: 11,470 births, rank #25
2013: 11,141 births, rank #25
2014: 11,029 births, rank #23
2015: 10,905 births, rank #23
20162016: 10,621 births, rank #21
2017: 10,449 births, rank #21
2018: 9,854 births, rank #21
2019: 9,322 births, rank #22
2020: 8,594 births, rank #25
20212021: 8,580 births, rank #23
2022: 8,427 births, rank #19
2023: 8,038 births, rank #19
2024: 8,355 births, rank #17
20252025: 8,334 births, rank #18
Samuel has unusual staying power. It appears in the US records as early as 1880 and still ranks #18 for boys in 2025. Its highest annual birth count came in 2001, with 14,813 births.