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
- 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
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
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 | |
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.
See more about Samuel
- 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)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 2024 at #17 (8,355 births)
- Not yet halved from its peak
- Top 10: never
- Top 100: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- 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
- 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 1978
Top girls' names in 1978
Top boys' names in 1978
More about 1978
girls
1,531,859 girls got a published name in 1978; 1 in 46,420 of them was named Samuel, which outranked 77.6% of the 11,475 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.5% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
- #2,516Veda34
- #2,516Wesley34
- #2,516Winona34
- #2,572Samuel33
- #2,572Adia33
- #2,572Alea33
- #2,572Allie33
- #2,629Adelita32
- #2,629Alethia32
- #2,629Analisa32
Tied with 56 names at #2,572; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.
boys
1,641,837 boys got a published name in 1978; 1 in 304 of them was named Samuel, which outranked 99.2% of the 6,762 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 24.6% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.