Baby Name Popularity Profile

Samuel

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

✦ Heard by God 🌍 Hebrew biblical traditional
National Rank (2025) #18
All-Time Peak Rank #17 Achieved 1880
Total U.S. Births 820,196 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 99.9% Boy / 0.1% Girl Overwhelmingly Male
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 2000s 14,813 births in 2001
πŸ’‘ The Samuel Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Heard by God
Language Origin Hebrew
Origin Type single
Derived from the Hebrew name Shmu'el (Χ©Φ°ΧΧžΧ•ΦΌΧΦ΅Χœ) meaning 'name of God' or 'God has heard'.
Common Nicknames
Sam Sammy
Alternative Spellings
Shmuel Samuil
Pronunciation: SAM-yoo-el
Themes & Categories
biblical traditional
Etymology confidence: High

πŸ“– The Story Behind Samuel

According to SSA data, Samuel achieved its highest historical rank of #17 in 1880. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 2001 with 14,813 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 23.6%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

πŸ“Š Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of Samuel across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Stable
10-Year Shift -23.6% Decline
18801920196020002025

πŸ“ˆ Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 14,813 births in 2001
Years in Top 100 146 yrs
Years in Top 500 146 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Very Stable
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 9,129
1890s: 7,857
1900s: 8,149
1910s: 34,166
1920s: 43,362
1930s: 32,135
1940s: 43,129
1950s: 53,767
1960s: 44,247
1970s: 48,099
1980s: 73,456
1990s: 125,597
2000s: 138,647
2010s: 108,128
2020s: 50,328

πŸ“ Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables Sa-mue
Letter Count 6 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 25.7% of names
Linguistic Profile: It is an isogram, meaning no two letters are repeated. Longer than 25.7% of SSA names. Starts with S, a letter used by only 7.9% of SSA names.

πŸ› οΈ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

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

πŸ“ Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Alaska
Top States Alaska, South Carolina, Delaware, Utah, Virginia
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Alaska #14 1,883 2004 Stable
South Carolina #14 17,769 1948 +13.8% Growth
Delaware #33 2,348 1997 Insufficient historical volume
Utah #28 9,177 2004 25.0% Decline
Virginia #15 24,747 2002 3.8% Decline
Alabama #8 19,663 2005 +22.8% Growth
District of Columbia #12 4,744 1992 Stable
North Carolina #13 30,271 2003 +6.7% Growth
Tennessee #14 21,631 2003 0.8% Decline
Idaho #21 3,951 2010 22.2% Decline
Hawaii #36 3,042 1998 Insufficient historical volume
Maryland #23 14,749 2000 6.4% Decline
New Hampshire #48 3,052 2004 Stable
Georgia #19 26,982 2007 9.1% Decline
Oregon #18 8,599 1999 2.8% Decline
Colorado #32 11,350 2003 12.2% Decline
Florida #22 31,660 2005 +0.8% Growth
Mississippi #19 11,686 1949 12.2% Decline
New Mexico #21 4,940 1996 4.3% Decline
Nevada #27 3,047 2005 +3.0% Growth
Arizona #23 11,005 2005 Stable
Washington #9 14,503 2003 +16.0% Growth
Pennsylvania #21 47,986 1918 1.8% Decline
West Virginia #25 8,112 1949 +7.5% Growth
Vermont Unranked 1,483 1988 Insufficient historical volume
Wyoming Unranked 1,149 2006 Insufficient historical volume
Arkansas #12 9,170 2003 +2.1% Growth
Maine #81 3,702 2004 40.7% Decline
Kentucky #15 14,090 2003 +0.7% Growth
Minnesota #34 14,870 2001 14.8% Decline
Texas #16 61,287 2005 +3.7% Growth
Montana #27 2,440 1996 Insufficient historical volume
Indiana #13 18,544 1997 +2.7% Growth
Missouri #15 17,295 2002 +1.7% Growth
Connecticut #32 8,346 1999 +12.3% Growth
Massachusetts #17 18,118 2001 +4.1% Growth
Kansas #24 7,687 2007 1.2% Decline
Oklahoma #13 9,877 2005 +21.2% Growth
Louisiana #15 13,004 1949 +21.5% Growth
New Jersey #36 19,360 2001 10.8% Decline
California #34 69,781 2001 12.5% Decline
Nebraska #24 5,070 2004 +5.6% Growth
Ohio #30 31,852 2001 3.0% Decline
Rhode Island #59 2,513 2002 48.5% Decline
New York #38 52,939 2001 25.6% Decline
Wisconsin #27 13,599 2001 +20.0% Growth
South Dakota #49 2,104 1991 16.0% Decline
Illinois #31 30,078 1997 9.2% Decline
Iowa #34 7,388 1999 11.4% Decline
Michigan #37 20,185 2001 5.1% Decline
North Dakota #34 1,639 2003 Insufficient historical volume

πŸ‘¨β€πŸ‘©β€πŸ‘§ Sibling Name Suggestions

πŸ‘¦ Brother Suggestions
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πŸ‘§ Sister Suggestions
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