Baby Name Popularity Profile

Sam

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for Sam.

✦ Heard by God 🌍 Hebrew biblical traditional
National Rank (2025) #647
All-Time Peak Rank #30 Achieved 1882
Total U.S. Births 127,234 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 97.2% Boy / 2.8% Girl Overwhelmingly Male
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1920s 2,506 births in 1918
💡 The Sam Vibe: Considered a Declining Classic. A previously dominant name currently experiencing a prolonged generational cooling period.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Heard by God
Language Origin Hebrew
Origin Type single
Diminutive of Samuel, derived from Hebrew Shemu'el meaning 'heard by God' or 'name of God'.
Common Nicknames
Sammy
Pronunciation: SAM
Themes & Categories
biblical traditional
Etymology confidence: High

📖 The Story Behind Sam

According to SSA data, Sam achieved its highest historical rank of #30 in 1882. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1918 with 2,506 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 18.2%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

📊 Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Sam across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Stable
10-Year Shift -18.2% Decline
18801920196020002025

📈 Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 2,506 births in 1918
Years in Top 100 47 yrs
Years in Top 500 132 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Highly Volatile
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 5,069
1890s: 4,941
1900s: 6,161
1910s: 18,544
1920s: 20,844
1930s: 13,350
1940s: 12,351
1950s: 10,052
1960s: 8,657
1970s: 4,516
1980s: 4,038
1990s: 5,437
2000s: 5,752
2010s: 5,034
2020s: 2,488

📐 Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Sam
Letter Count 3 letters
Spelling Complexity Easy
Length Percentile Longer than 0.2% of names
Linguistic Profile: It is an isogram, meaning no two letters are repeated. Longer than 0.2% of SSA names. Starts with S, a letter used by only 7.9% of SSA names.

🛠️ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with Sam.

📍 Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Mississippi
Top States Mississippi, South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana, Arkansas
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Mississippi Unranked 4,818 1919 Insufficient historical volume
South Carolina Unranked 3,903 1917 Insufficient historical volume
Alabama #752 4,502 1926 Insufficient historical volume
Louisiana Unranked 3,786 1917 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas Unranked 2,013 1918 Insufficient historical volume
Tennessee #546 3,870 1920 Insufficient historical volume
New Mexico Unranked 905 1930 Insufficient historical volume
Georgia #1067 4,350 1919 Insufficient historical volume
New York #374 10,809 1915 Stable
Oklahoma #790 1,902 1925 Insufficient historical volume
Illinois #862 6,461 1915 Insufficient historical volume
Colorado #743 1,547 1915 Insufficient historical volume
North Carolina #817 3,320 1918 Insufficient historical volume
Texas #745 8,774 1922 +19.4% Growth
Kentucky Unranked 1,890 1917 Insufficient historical volume
Missouri #855 2,353 1917 Insufficient historical volume
West Virginia Unranked 935 1916 Insufficient historical volume
Ohio #1239 4,413 1921 Insufficient historical volume
New Jersey #483 2,601 1919 Insufficient historical volume
Michigan #481 3,524 1922 Insufficient historical volume
Nebraska Unranked 677 1915 Insufficient historical volume
Utah #348 741 2019 Insufficient historical volume
Arizona #1016 1,102 1959 Insufficient historical volume
Montana #223 271 1918 Insufficient historical volume
Washington #598 1,412 1961 Insufficient historical volume
Virginia #785 1,930 1916 Insufficient historical volume
Florida #580 2,843 1959 Insufficient historical volume
Oregon #434 752 1960 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania #738 4,174 1918 Insufficient historical volume
Kansas Unranked 810 1943 Insufficient historical volume
California #571 7,638 1959 13.1% Decline
Indiana #1053 1,588 1959 Insufficient historical volume
Minnesota #912 1,142 1917 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut #490 662 1916 Insufficient historical volume
Wisconsin Unranked 1,163 1917 Insufficient historical volume
Iowa Unranked 756 1947 Insufficient historical volume
Alaska Unranked 72 1928 Insufficient historical volume
Idaho #480 202 1946 Insufficient historical volume
Massachusetts #434 1,249 2002 Insufficient historical volume
Hawaii Unranked 138 1916 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland #902 610 1924 Insufficient historical volume
Nevada #435 102 1964 Insufficient historical volume
North Dakota Unranked 98 1915 Insufficient historical volume
District of Columbia Unranked 122 1957 Insufficient historical volume
Wyoming Unranked 32 1918 Insufficient historical volume
South Dakota Unranked 77 1941 Insufficient historical volume
New Hampshire Unranked 18 1990 Insufficient historical volume
Vermont Unranked 7 1990 Insufficient historical volume
Maine Unranked 16 1960 Insufficient historical volume
Rhode Island Unranked 10 1995 Insufficient historical volume
Delaware Unranked 5 1961 Insufficient historical volume

👨‍👩‍👧 Sibling Name Suggestions

👦 Brother Suggestions
Hugh Wilson Ben Abe Moe Roe Dee Edd Fay Nat
👧 Sister Suggestions
Della Goldie Lillie Estelle Mae May Fae Ray Bee Lue

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