Boy · Hebrew
Samuel
Say it: SAM-yoo-ul
Meaning
Hebrew Shmu'el. Usually read as 'name of God' or 'God has heard'; 1 Samuel 1:20 links it to asking and hearing, and the exact formation is debated.
Uncertainseveral explanations, none settled.
Very common among Puritans and continuously popular since.
Its wave through time
Timeless: in steady use for over a century
In the United States
- 780,818 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 1880, about 1 in 108 boys
- 8,502 babies in 2020
Through the ages
- The Biblical WorldAbout 1200 BC to AD 100
- The Colonial Americas1500 to 1800
- Victorian and Belle Époque1837 to 1914
- The Modern Age1880 to today
Used by
HebrewEarly ChristianEnglishAmericanFrenchSpanishItalianPortugueseGermanPolishWelsh
The family of the name
| French | Samuel |
|---|---|
| Spanish | Samuel |
| Italian | Samuele |
| Portuguese | Samuel |
| German | Samuel |
| Polish | Samuel |
| Russian | Samuil |
| Hebrew | Shmuel |
Famous bearers
- Samuel, prophet and judge
- Samuel Johnson, English writer
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- The Hebrew Bible and the New Testament
- Puritan church and town records of England and New England
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- 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.