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
- Peak · boys
- 2024 · 8,355 births
- Debut · boys
- 1,024 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 146 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 820,196since 1880
Samuel over time
boys
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
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
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #10,917 | 8 | #18 | 8,334 |
| 2024 | #12,161 | 7 | #17 | 8,355 |
| 2023 | #9,616 | 10 | #19 | 8,038 |
| 2022 | #11,231 | 8 | #19 | 8,427 |
| 2021 | #13,464 | 6 | #23 | 8,580 |
| 2020 | #7,559 | 14 | #25 | 8,594 |
| 2019 | #9,736 | 10 | #22 | 9,322 |
| 2018 | #8,617 | 12 | #21 | 9,854 |
| 2017 | #7,092 | 16 | #21 | 10,449 |
| 2016 | #7,230 | 16 | #21 | 10,621 |
| 2015 | #8,931 | 12 | #23 | 10,905 |
| 2014 | #8,053 | 14 | #23 | 11,029 |
| 2013 | #8,135 | 14 | #25 | 11,141 |
| 2012 | #8,208 | 14 | #25 | 11,470 |
| 2011 | #14,824 | 6 | #26 | 11,366 |
| 2010 | #4,974 | 28 | #24 | 11,971 |
| 2009 | #6,544 | 20 | #24 | 12,181 |
| 2008 | #5,750 | 24 | #27 | 12,774 |
| 2007 | #7,733 | 16 | #25 | 13,367 |
| 2006 | #6,592 | 19 | #25 | 13,652 |
| 2005 | #4,958 | 26 | #21 | 14,271 |
| 2004 | #2,927 | 54 | #23 | 14,131 |
| 2003 | #4,943 | 25 | #23 | 14,691 |
| 2002 | #5,897 | 19 | #25 | 14,579 |
| 2001 | #3,940 | 32 | #26 | 14,813 |
| 2000 | #4,400 | 27 | #28 | 14,188 |
| 1999 | #4,870 | 22 | #27 | 14,049 |
| 1998 | #4,142 | 27 | #28 | 13,912 |
| 1997 | #4,508 | 23 | #27 | 14,237 |
| 1996 | #3,942 | 27 | #30 | 13,629 |
| 1995 | #3,670 | 29 | #33 | 12,440 |
| 1994 | #2,752 | 44 | #33 | 12,147 |
| 1993 | #2,938 | 40 | #37 | 11,711 |
| 1992 | #3,144 | 36 | #40 | 11,344 |
| 1991 | #3,817 | 27 | #39 | 11,234 |
| 1990 | #3,227 | 34 | #45 | 10,894 |
| 1989 | #2,931 | 37 | #47 | 10,107 |
| 1988 | #1,934 | 63 | #45 | 9,564 |
| 1987 | #1,838 | 63 | #50 | 8,576 |
| 1986 | #1,952 | 56 | #52 | 7,579 |
| 1985 | #1,760 | 64 | #54 | 7,009 |
| 1984 | #2,081 | 48 | #55 | 6,362 |
| 1983 | #1,715 | 63 | #54 | 6,195 |
| 1982 | #2,220 | 45 | #56 | 6,014 |
| 1981 | #2,265 | 44 | #54 | 6,036 |
| 1980 | #2,603 | 36 | #54 | 6,014 |
| 1979 | #2,112 | 47 | #55 | 5,687 |
| 1978 | #2,572 | 33 | #57 | 5,394 |
| 1977 | #2,257 | 40 | #60 | 5,257 |
| 1976 | #2,255 | 37 | #59 | 5,025 |
| 1975 | #2,232 | 37 | #61 | 4,619 |
| 1974 | #2,348 | 33 | #60 | 4,672 |
| 1973 | #2,309 | 33 | #66 | 4,267 |
| 1972 | #2,022 | 39 | #66 | 4,213 |
| 1971 | #2,137 | 38 | #66 | 4,407 |
| 1970 | #2,705 | 26 | #62 | 4,558 |
| 1969 | #2,396 | 29 | #64 | 4,430 |
| 1968 | #2,360 | 27 | #66 | 4,123 |
| 1967 | #2,781 | 20 | #69 | 4,232 |
| 1966 | #2,519 | 23 | #81 | 4,155 |
| 1965 | #2,345 | 26 | #84 | 4,395 |
| 1964 | #2,348 | 27 | #86 | 4,462 |
| 1963 | #2,424 | 25 | #87 | 4,520 |
| 1962 | #1,989 | 34 | #88 | 4,552 |
| 1961 | #2,299 | 27 | #89 | 4,667 |
| 1960 | #2,246 | 27 | #91 | 4,711 |
| 1959 | #1,985 | 32 | #86 | 4,953 |
| 1958 | #2,663 | 19 | #85 | 5,051 |
| 1957 | #3,150 | 14 | #82 | 5,236 |
| 1956 | #2,058 | 28 | #74 | 5,585 |
| 1955 | #2,280 | 23 | #71 | 5,535 |
| 1954 | #2,695 | 17 | #71 | 5,634 |
| 1953 | #2,301 | 21 | #70 | 5,423 |
| 1952 | #1,861 | 29 | #67 | 5,647 |
| 1951 | #2,474 | 17 | #67 | 5,476 |
| 1950 | #2,341 | 18 | #62 | 5,227 |
| 1949 | #2,134 | 21 | #62 | 5,356 |
| 1948 | #2,589 | 15 | #70 | 5,002 |
| 1947 | #2,769 | 14 | #72 | 5,110 |
| 1946 | #1,723 | 27 | #70 | 4,523 |
| 1945 | #2,149 | 16 | #61 | 3,957 |
| 1944 | #2,027 | 18 | #62 | 3,946 |
| 1943 | #2,151 | 17 | #62 | 4,143 |
| 1942 | #1,497 | 30 | #59 | 4,190 |
| 1941 | #2,190 | 15 | #65 | 3,538 |
| 1940 | #1,792 | 20 | #65 | 3,364 |
| 1939 | #1,881 | 18 | #63 | 3,254 |
| 1938 | #1,596 | 23 | #62 | 3,243 |
| 1937 | #1,580 | 23 | #66 | 3,027 |
| 1936 | #2,857 | 9 | #67 | 2,893 |
| 1935 | #1,917 | 17 | #62 | 3,149 |
| 1934 | #2,087 | 15 | #66 | 3,137 |
| 1933 | #1,658 | 21 | #61 | 3,111 |
| 1932 | #1,957 | 17 | #56 | 3,411 |
| 1931 | #1,394 | 28 | #56 | 3,379 |
| 1930 | #1,875 | 19 | #55 | 3,531 |
| 1929 | #1,370 | 31 | #53 | 3,567 |
| 1928 | #1,541 | 27 | #52 | 3,844 |
| 1927 | #1,303 | 37 | #49 | 4,189 |
| 1926 | #1,721 | 24 | #48 | 4,180 |
| 1925 | #1,700 | 25 | #46 | 4,405 |
| 1924 | #1,811 | 23 | #45 | 4,591 |
| 1923 | #2,169 | 17 | #45 | 4,578 |
| 1922 | #2,291 | 16 | #43 | 4,600 |
| 1921 | #1,988 | 20 | #44 | 4,754 |
| 1920 | #2,172 | 17 | #44 | 4,654 |
| 1919 | #2,264 | 15 | #43 | 4,472 |
| 1918 | #1,690 | 23 | #43 | 4,772 |
| 1917 | #2,100 | 16 | #42 | 4,490 |
| 1916 | #2,246 | 14 | #41 | 4,399 |
| 1915 | #2,688 | 10 | #39 | 4,351 |
| 1914 | #2,434 | 9 | #35 | 3,703 |
| 1913 | #3,187 | 5 | #36 | 2,850 |
| 1912 | #2,634 | 6 | #30 | 2,602 |
| 1911 | — | #30 | 1,398 | |
| 1910 | — | #32 | 1,129 | |
| 1909 | — | #32 | 983 | |
| 1908 | #2,101 | 5 | #33 | 960 |
| 1907 | — | #32 | 892 | |
| 1906 | #1,727 | 6 | #33 | 783 |
| 1905 | #1,538 | 7 | #30 | 856 |
| 1904 | — | #34 | 727 | |
| 1903 | — | #31 | 741 | |
| 1902 | — | #33 | 702 | |
| 1901 | — | #33 | 628 | |
| 1900 | #1,723 | 6 | #33 | 877 |
| 1899 | — | #30 | 704 | |
| 1898 | — | #32 | 749 | |
| 1897 | — | #28 | 759 | |
| 1896 | — | #31 | 734 | |
| 1895 | — | #25 | 814 | |
| 1894 | — | #26 | 776 | |
| 1893 | #1,437 | 5 | #20 | 851 |
| 1892 | — | #20 | 902 | |
| 1891 | #1,213 | 6 | #20 | 753 |
| 1890 | #1,338 | 5 | #20 | 815 |
| 1889 | — | #20 | 810 | |
| 1888 | — | #18 | 931 | |
| 1887 | — | #18 | 802 | |
| 1886 | — | #18 | 870 | |
| 1885 | — | #18 | 888 | |
| 1884 | — | #17 | 945 | |
| 1883 | — | #17 | 937 | |
| 1882 | — | #17 | 1,003 | |
| 1881 | — | #17 | 919 | |
| 1880 | — | #17 | 1,024 | |
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 1956
- Rank in state
- Top 10
- 11–50
- 51–100
- 101–500
- 501+
- Not published
Hover or tap a state for its numbers.
Top states · boys
- South Carolina#38 · 1 in 171
- Florida#40 · 1 in 205
- Delaware#41 · 1 in 208
- North Carolina#44 · 1 in 210
- Virginia#44 · 1 in 216
Best ever in a state: #1 in Idaho, 2010.
Show every state
| State | Rank | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | #38 | 180 | 1 in 171 |
| Florida | #40 | 230 | 1 in 205 |
| Delaware | #41 | 24 | 1 in 208 |
| North Carolina | #44 | 264 | 1 in 210 |
| Virginia | #44 | 206 | 1 in 216 |
| Alabama | #45 | 208 | 1 in 192 |
| West Virginia | #49 | 88 | 1 in 245 |
| Mississippi | #51 | 135 | 1 in 211 |
| Tennessee | #52 | 175 | 1 in 234 |
| New Mexico | #53 | 54 | 1 in 225 |
| Pennsylvania | #54 | 460 | 1 in 268 |
| Arkansas | #56 | 75 | 1 in 271 |
| Georgia | #56 | 213 | 1 in 236 |
| Maryland | #56 | 105 | 1 in 301 |
| Wyoming | #57 | 14 | 1 in 250 |
| District of Columbia | #60 | 46 | 1 in 325 |
| Hawaii | #61 | 29 | 1 in 254 |
| Texas | #61 | 413 | 1 in 300 |
| Louisiana | #65 | 158 | 1 in 267 |
| Ohio | #68 | 293 | 1 in 395 |
| Arizona | #69 | 48 | 1 in 295 |
| Colorado | #69 | 57 | 1 in 357 |
| New Jersey | #71 | 142 | 1 in 415 |
| Alaska | #75 | 10 | 1 in 317 |
| New York | #75 | 389 | 1 in 453 |
| Oklahoma | #76 | 64 | 1 in 388 |
| Indiana | #79 | 127 | 1 in 435 |
| Kentucky | #80 | 91 | 1 in 399 |
| Kansas | #81 | 58 | 1 in 427 |
| Missouri | #85 | 98 | 1 in 491 |
| Vermont | #85 | 9 | 1 in 439 |
| California | #87 | 345 | 1 in 486 |
| Illinois | #87 | 224 | 1 in 501 |
| Connecticut | #88 | 36 | 1 in 687 |
| Oregon | #96 | 34 | 1 in 526 |
| Idaho | #98 | 16 | 1 in 453 |
| New Hampshire | #100 | 9 | 1 in 656 |
| Rhode Island | #100 | 10 | 1 in 921 |
| Massachusetts | #102 | 57 | 1 in 976 |
| Nebraska | #103 | 26 | 1 in 617 |
| Washington | #107 | 56 | 1 in 568 |
| Michigan | #110 | 152 | 1 in 658 |
| Nevada | #115 | 5 | 1 in 537 |
| Utah | #115 | 21 | 1 in 572 |
| Iowa | #119 | 38 | 1 in 808 |
| Maine | #126 | 12 | 1 in 865 |
| South Dakota | #129 | 11 | 1 in 747 |
| Montana | #130 | 12 | 1 in 658 |
| Minnesota | #158 | 27 | 1 in 1,481 |
| Wisconsin | #173 | 25 | 1 in 1,830 |
| North Dakota | #179 | 6 | 1 in 1,238 |
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
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 9,129 | #17 (1880) | #18 |
| 1890s | 7,857 | #20 (1892) | #25 |
| 1900s | 8,149 | #30 (1905) | #32 |
| 1910s | 34,166 | #30 (1912) | #37 |
| 1920s | 43,362 | #43 (1922) | #47 |
| 1930s | 32,135 | #55 (1930) | #61 |
| 1940s | 43,129 | #59 (1942) | #65 |
| 1950s | 53,767 | #62 (1950) | #74 |
| 1960s | 44,247 | #64 (1969) | #81 |
| 1970s | 48,099 | #55 (1979) | #61 |
| 1980s | 73,456 | #45 (1988) | #52 |
| 1990s | 125,597 | #27 (1997) | #34 |
| 2000s | 138,647 | #21 (2005) | #25 |
| 2010s | 108,128 | #21 (2016) | #23 |
| 2020s | 50,328 | #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 1956
girls
#2,058
28 births · 1 in 71,704 girls
boys
#74
5,585 births · 1 in 379 boys
Top girls' names in 1956
Top boys' names in 1956
More about 1956
girls
2,007,703 girls got a published name in 1956; 1 in 71,704 of them was named Samuel, which outranked 70.1% of the 6,891 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.4% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Samuel
- #2,005Vina29
- #2,005Zaida29
- #2,005Zetta29
- #2,058Samuel28
- #2,058Barbie28
- #2,058Bess28
- #2,058Blair28
- #2,103Adelaida27
- #2,103Albert27
- #2,103Allen27
Tied with 44 names at #2,058; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Biggest movers since 1955
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
2,115,302 boys got a published name in 1956; 1 in 379 of them was named Samuel, which outranked 98.3% of the 4,455 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 31.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Ranked beside Samuel
Biggest movers since 1955
Risers
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.