Sam vs Samuel

Side-by-side comparison of Sam and Samuel — popularity rank, total births, peak decade, and historical trends from Social Security Administration data.

Name A

Sam

Boy name · Rank #650

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Name B

Samuel

Boy name · Rank #17

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Which name is more popular?

Metric Sam Samuel
Current Rank #650 #17
Total Births (all years) 126,795 811,720
Peak Year 1918 2001
Peak Year Births 2,505 14,813
Peak Decade 1920ss 2000ss
Gender Boy Boy
First Recorded Year 1880 1880

Births by Decade

Decade Sam Samuel
1880ss 5,069 9,129
1890ss 4,941 7,857
1900ss 6,161 8,149
1910ss 18,544 34,166
1920ss 20,844 43,362
1930ss 13,350 32,135
1940ss 12,351 43,127
1950ss 10,052 53,766
1960ss 8,652 44,250
1970ss 4,517 48,103
1980ss 4,040 73,460
1990ss 5,437 125,592
2000ss 5,748 138,622
2010ss 5,031 108,101
2020ss 2,058 41,901

Recent Annual Births (2014–present)

Year Sam Samuel
2014 523 11,024
2015 523 10,900
2016 478 10,615
2017 527 10,447
2018 453 9,850
2019 442 9,321
2020 402 8,585
2021 412 8,573
2022 418 8,414
2023 403 8,019
2024 423 8,310

Data Sources

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, ssa.gov/oact/babynames.
Source: SSA Annual Name Rankings, 1880–2024.

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