Boy · English short form of a Hebrew name
Sam
Say it: SAM
Meaning
A short form of Samuel, from Hebrew Shemu'el, explained variously as 'name of God' or 'God has heard'; also of Samson.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
Long used as a nickname and given as a full name in the US since the 1800s.
Its wave through time
Fading since the 1880s
In the United States
- 126,603 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 1882, about 1 in 205 boys
- 413 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
Famous bearers
- Sam Houston, Texan statesman
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- National census records of the 19th and 20th centuries
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.