Samuel

#10,917 for girls in 2025, 8 births · #18 for boys in 2025, 8,334 births
Given to boys 99.6% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · boys
2024 · 8,355 births
Debut · boys
1,024 births
In top 100 · boys
146 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · boys
820,196
since 1880

Samuel over time

boys

Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100rank188019001920194019601980200020201940boysat peak
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#10,9178#188,334
2024#12,1617#178,355
2023#9,61610#198,038
2022#11,2318#198,427
2021#13,4646#238,580
2020#7,55914#258,594
2019#9,73610#229,322
2018#8,61712#219,854
2017#7,09216#2110,449
2016#7,23016#2110,621
2015#8,93112#2310,905
2014#8,05314#2311,029
2013#8,13514#2511,141
2012#8,20814#2511,470
2011#14,8246#2611,366
2010#4,97428#2411,971
2009#6,54420#2412,181
2008#5,75024#2712,774
2007#7,73316#2513,367
2006#6,59219#2513,652
2005#4,95826#2114,271
2004#2,92754#2314,131
2003#4,94325#2314,691
2002#5,89719#2514,579
2001#3,94032#2614,813
2000#4,40027#2814,188
1999#4,87022#2714,049
1998#4,14227#2813,912
1997#4,50823#2714,237
1996#3,94227#3013,629
1995#3,67029#3312,440
1994#2,75244#3312,147
1993#2,93840#3711,711
1992#3,14436#4011,344
1991#3,81727#3911,234
1990#3,22734#4510,894
1989#2,93137#4710,107
1988#1,93463#459,564
1987#1,83863#508,576
1986#1,95256#527,579
1985#1,76064#547,009
1984#2,08148#556,362
1983#1,71563#546,195
1982#2,22045#566,014
1981#2,26544#546,036
1980#2,60336#546,014
1979#2,11247#555,687
1978#2,57233#575,394
1977#2,25740#605,257
1976#2,25537#595,025
1975#2,23237#614,619
1974#2,34833#604,672
1973#2,30933#664,267
1972#2,02239#664,213
1971#2,13738#664,407
1970#2,70526#624,558
1969#2,39629#644,430
1968#2,36027#664,123
1967#2,78120#694,232
1966#2,51923#814,155
1965#2,34526#844,395
1964#2,34827#864,462
1963#2,42425#874,520
1962#1,98934#884,552
1961#2,29927#894,667
1960#2,24627#914,711
1959#1,98532#864,953
1958#2,66319#855,051
1957#3,15014#825,236
1956#2,05828#745,585
1955#2,28023#715,535
1954#2,69517#715,634
1953#2,30121#705,423
1952#1,86129#675,647
1951#2,47417#675,476
1950#2,34118#625,227
1949#2,13421#625,356
1948#2,58915#705,002
1947#2,76914#725,110
1946#1,72327#704,523
1945#2,14916#613,957
1944#2,02718#623,946
1943#2,15117#624,143
1942#1,49730#594,190
1941#2,19015#653,538
1940#1,79220#653,364
1939#1,88118#633,254
1938#1,59623#623,243
1937#1,58023#663,027
1936#2,8579#672,893
1935#1,91717#623,149
1934#2,08715#663,137
1933#1,65821#613,111
1932#1,95717#563,411
1931#1,39428#563,379
1930#1,87519#553,531
1929#1,37031#533,567
1928#1,54127#523,844
1927#1,30337#494,189
1926#1,72124#484,180
1925#1,70025#464,405
1924#1,81123#454,591
1923#2,16917#454,578
1922#2,29116#434,600
1921#1,98820#444,754
1920#2,17217#444,654
1919#2,26415#434,472
1918#1,69023#434,772
1917#2,10016#424,490
1916#2,24614#414,399
1915#2,68810#394,351
1914#2,4349#353,703
1913#3,1875#362,850
1912#2,6346#302,602
1911—#301,398
1910—#321,129
1909—#32983
1908#2,1015#33960
1907—#32892
1906#1,7276#33783
1905#1,5387#30856
1904—#34727
1903—#31741
1902—#33702
1901—#33628
1900#1,7236#33877
1899—#30704
1898—#32749
1897—#28759
1896—#31734
1895—#25814
1894—#26776
1893#1,4375#20851
1892—#20902
1891#1,2136#20753
1890#1,3385#20815
1889—#20810
1888—#18931
1887—#18802
1886—#18870
1885—#18888
1884—#17945
1883—#17937
1882—#171,003
1881—#17919
1880—#171,024
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Samuel was already there! It came in at #17, and was given to 1,024 baby boys.


Quietest stretch: 1885–1907, when fewer than 940 boys a year got the name.

Where Samuel is popular in 1940

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 boys named Samuel, so not publishedAKMaine: #89 for boys · 15 births · 1 in 426 boysMEVermont: fewer than 5 boys named Samuel, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: #67 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 350 boysNHWashington: #121 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 739 boysWAIdaho: #125 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 539 boysIDMontana: #135 for boys · 6 births · 1 in 787 boysMTNorth Dakota: #177 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,117 boysNDMinnesota: #215 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,394 boysMNIllinois: #90 for boys · 105 births · 1 in 561 boysILWisconsin: #206 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 2,513 boysWIMichigan: #108 for boys · 64 births · 1 in 719 boysMINew York: #67 for boys · 266 births · 1 in 352 boysNYMassachusetts: #79 for boys · 50 births · 1 in 614 boysMARhode Island: #79 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 511 boysRIOregon: #177 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 1,129 boysORNevada: fewer than 5 boys named Samuel, so not publishedNVWyoming: fewer than 5 boys named Samuel, so not publishedWYSouth Dakota: #171 for boys · 5 births · 1 in 1,011 boysSDIowa: #170 for boys · 17 births · 1 in 1,238 boysIAIndiana: #69 for boys · 73 births · 1 in 389 boysINOhio: #80 for boys · 112 births · 1 in 484 boysOHPennsylvania: #37 for boys · 387 births · 1 in 198 boysPANew Jersey: #63 for boys · 80 births · 1 in 340 boysNJConnecticut: #64 for boys · 26 births · 1 in 428 boysCTCalifornia: #111 for boys · 83 births · 1 in 635 boysCAUtah: #157 for boys · 7 births · 1 in 791 boysUTColorado: #81 for boys · 27 births · 1 in 364 boysCONebraska: #174 for boys · 8 births · 1 in 1,213 boysNEMissouri: #106 for boys · 50 births · 1 in 584 boysMOKentucky: #76 for boys · 80 births · 1 in 357 boysKYWest Virginia: #47 for boys · 81 births · 1 in 239 boysWVVirginia: #34 for boys · 148 births · 1 in 165 boysVAMaryland: #42 for boys · 69 births · 1 in 195 boysMDDelaware: #45 for boys · 9 births · 1 in 203 boysDEArizona: #117 for boys · 10 births · 1 in 501 boysAZNew Mexico: #90 for boys · 18 births · 1 in 331 boysNMKansas: #148 for boys · 16 births · 1 in 809 boysKSArkansas: #60 for boys · 67 births · 1 in 287 boysARTennessee: #52 for boys · 103 births · 1 in 271 boysTNNorth Carolina: #34 for boys · 197 births · 1 in 188 boysNCSouth Carolina: #22 for boys · 193 births · 1 in 110 boysSCDistrict of Columbia: #40 for boys · 31 births · 1 in 204 boysDCOklahoma: #98 for boys · 44 births · 1 in 484 boysOKLouisiana: #47 for boys · 102 births · 1 in 222 boysLAMississippi: #41 for boys · 112 births · 1 in 195 boysMSAlabama: #28 for boys · 193 births · 1 in 149 boysALGeorgia: #46 for boys · 138 births · 1 in 226 boysGAHawaii: #42 for boys · 25 births · 1 in 144 boysHITexas: #69 for boys · 177 births · 1 in 352 boysTXFlorida: #41 for boys · 88 births · 1 in 176 boysFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · boys
  1. South Carolina#22 · 1 in 110
  2. Alabama#28 · 1 in 149
  3. Virginia#34 · 1 in 165
  4. North Carolina#34 · 1 in 188
  5. Pennsylvania#37 · 1 in 198

Best ever in a state: #1 in Idaho, 2010.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
South Carolina#221931 in 110
Alabama#281931 in 149
North Carolina#341971 in 188
Virginia#341481 in 165
Pennsylvania#373871 in 198
District of Columbia#40311 in 204
Florida#41881 in 176
Mississippi#411121 in 195
Hawaii#42251 in 144
Maryland#42691 in 195
Delaware#4591 in 203
Georgia#461381 in 226
Louisiana#471021 in 222
West Virginia#47811 in 239
Tennessee#521031 in 271
Arkansas#60671 in 287
New Jersey#63801 in 340
Connecticut#64261 in 428
New Hampshire#67101 in 350
New York#672661 in 352
Indiana#69731 in 389
Texas#691771 in 352
Kentucky#76801 in 357
Massachusetts#79501 in 614
Rhode Island#7991 in 511
Ohio#801121 in 484
Colorado#81271 in 364
Maine#89151 in 426
Illinois#901051 in 561
New Mexico#90181 in 331
Oklahoma#98441 in 484
Missouri#106501 in 584
Michigan#108641 in 719
California#111831 in 635
Arizona#117101 in 501
Washington#121171 in 739
Idaho#12591 in 539
Montana#13561 in 787
Kansas#148161 in 809
Utah#15771 in 791
Iowa#170171 in 1,238
South Dakota#17151 in 1,011
Nebraska#17481 in 1,213
North Dakota#17751 in 1,117
Oregon#17771 in 1,129
Wisconsin#206101 in 2,513
Minnesota#215101 in 2,394
Alaska———
Nevada———
Vermont———
Wyoming———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the boys born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Samuel
Momentum · boys
Rising
  • 1 spot since 2024 (#17 → #18)
  • 7 spots since 2020 (#25 → #18)
  • 5 spots since 2015 (#23 → #18)
  • Biggest jump: 12 spots in 1967 (#81 → #69)
  • Biggest drop: 9 spots in 1946 (#61 → #70)
Rise & fade · boys
144 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 2024 at #17 (8,355 births)
  • Not yet halved from its peak
Top of the charts · boys
Top 100 for 146 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
  • Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
Share of babies · boys
1 in 108
  • Highest: 1 in 108 boys born in 1880 were named Samuel (0.93%)
  • Latest: 1 in 205 boys born in 2025 (0.49%)
  • Its best rank, #17 in 2024, was only 1 in 206 (0.48%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · boys
The 2000s
  • 16.9% of all boys named Samuel (138,647) were born in this decade
  • Comeback: #17 (1880) → #91 (1960) → #17 (2024)
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s9,129#17 (1880)#18
1890s7,857#20 (1892)#25
1900s8,149#30 (1905)#32
1910s34,166#30 (1912)#37
1920s43,362#43 (1922)#47
1930s32,135#55 (1930)#61
1940s43,129#59 (1942)#65
1950s53,767#62 (1950)#74
1960s44,247#64 (1969)#81
1970s48,099#55 (1979)#61
1980s73,456#45 (1988)#52
1990s125,597#27 (1997)#34
2000s138,647#21 (2005)#25
2010s108,128#21 (2016)#23
2020s50,328#17 (2024)#20

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Samuel in 1940

girls
#1,792
20 births · 1 in 57,176 girls
boys
#65
3,364 births · 1 in 345 boys

Top girls' names in 1940

  1. #1Mary56,216
  2. #2Barbara36,736
  3. #3Patricia32,665
  4. #4Judith22,385
  5. #5Betty22,077
  6. #6Carol21,759
  7. #7Nancy19,737
  8. #8Linda18,370
  9. #9Shirley17,881
  10. #10Sandra16,153
  11. #1,792Samuel20

Top boys' names in 1940

  1. #1James62,481
  2. #2Robert61,198
  3. #3John54,786
  4. #4William44,779
  5. #5Richard37,425
  6. #6Charles31,689
  7. #7David27,690
  8. #8Thomas23,991
  9. #9Donald23,115
  10. #10Ronald20,741
  11. #65Samuel3,364
More about 1940

girls

1,143,528 girls got a published name in 1940; 1 in 57,176 of them was named Samuel, which outranked 64.4% of the 5,028 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Samuel
  1. #1,745Velta21
  2. #1,745Vernelle21
  3. #1,745Veta21
  4. #1,792Samuel20
  5. #1,792Amber20
  6. #1,792Amie20
  7. #1,792Ara20
  8. #1,845America19
  9. #1,845Angel19
  10. #1,845Anthony19

Tied with 52 names at #1,792; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,494Scarlett#3,429 → #935
  2. ↑ 1,465Lonna#2,206 → #741
  3. ↑ 834Pam#1,797 → #963
  4. ↑ 659Jody#1,638 → #979
  5. ↑ 633Laraine#1,474 → #841
Fallers
  1. ↓ 481Fredia#996 → #1,477
  2. ↓ 430Eleanora#974 → #1,404
  3. ↓ 375Danielle#811 → #1,186
  4. ↓ 342Eloisa#930 → #1,272
  5. ↓ 298Coral#996 → #1,294

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,159,172 boys got a published name in 1940; 1 in 345 of them was named Samuel, which outranked 98.3% of the 3,937 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Samuel
  1. #62Don3,547
  2. #63Marvin3,502
  3. #64Clarence3,487
  4. #65Samuel3,364
  5. #66Leroy3,311
  6. #67Bill3,267
  7. #68Frederick3,096
Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
  1. ↑ 565Whitney#1,458 → #893
  2. ↑ 447Gonzalo#1,297 → #850
  3. ↑ 419Weston#1,323 → #904
  4. ↑ 368Ashley#1,272 → #904
  5. ↑ 366Agustin#1,238 → #872
Fallers
  1. ↓ 886Montie#916 → #1,802
  2. ↓ 446Verlon#888 → #1,334
  3. ↓ 394Issac#857 → #1,251
  4. ↓ 392Otho#942 → #1,334
  5. ↓ 384Pearl#867 → #1,251

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1940 →