Total births
127,234
Boys' name · since 1880
Sam
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 127,234 babies named Sam, peaking in 1918. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #650
- among boys today
- 127,234
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Sam is the #650 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 127,234 recorded since 1880.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Sam has been recorded 127,234 times among boys since 1880, currently ranked #650 nationally and more common than 95% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1920s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #650 among boys today
- 127,234 born since 1880
- 1920s peak decade
- 95% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sam is currently the #650 boys' name in America, more common than 95% of boys - 127,234 born since 1880, peaking in the 1920s.
- #650
- among boys today
- 127,234
- born since 1880
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 95%
- more common than other boys
Sam vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#650
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 95% of names given to boys today.
1920s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named Sam was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
2,506 babies were named Sam in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
How Sam compares
127,234 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Sam's all-time total is 347x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sam | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 127,234 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 2,506 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sam's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Sam's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 34% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 66%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1985, with only 348 births recorded -- set against the 1918 peak of 2,506, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Sam at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1918
Current rank
#650
Active since
1880
Sam popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 2,506
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Sam popularity over time - girls
1,576 total births recorded since 1888 (Sam as girls' name)
Sam by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Sam's strongest decade.
20,844 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
Sam births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 5,069
1880s
5,069 births
- 1890s 4,941
1890s
4,941 births
- 1900s 6,161
1900s
6,161 births
- 1910s
1910s
18,544 births
- 1920s
1920s
20,844 births
- 1930s
1930s
13,350 births
- 1940s
1940s
12,351 births
- 1950s
1950s
10,052 births
- 1960s
1960s
8,657 births
- 1970s 4,516
1970s
4,516 births
- 1980s 4,038
1980s
4,038 births
- 1990s 5,437
1990s
5,437 births
- 2000s 5,752
2000s
5,752 births
- 2010s 5,034
2010s
5,034 births
- 2020s 2,488
2020s
2,488 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 20,844 births (16% of all-time use).
How Sam compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Sam's total volume
Sam vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Sam by state
Where Sam concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 10,809 | 8.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 8,774 | 6.9% |
| #3 | California | | 7,638 | 6.0% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 6,461 | 5.1% |
| #5 | Mississippi | | 4,818 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Alabama | | 4,502 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 4,413 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 4,350 | 3.4% |
New York share of Sam's total US births 8.5%
Even split
10,809 of 127,234 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Sam appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sam? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 127,234 babies named Sam. Today it holds rank #650 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 1918, with 2,506 births.
When was Sam most popular? ▼
Sam was most popular in the 1920s decade with 20,844 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Sam most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sam are New York (10,809 births), Texas (8,774 births), California (7,638 births).
How long has the name Sam been used? ▼
Records for Sam go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Sam? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Samuel, Sammy, Sammie, Samson, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sam's data
- Sam's decade-level peak was the 1920s (20,844 total births); usage has since declined to 2,488 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Sams (10,809 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Sam
Nearby Names Like Sam
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sam
Samuel Boy
#17 820,196 births
Sammy Boy
#1544 43,382 births
Sammie Boy
#4893 20,836 births
Samson Boy
#522 12,879 births
Samir Boy
#589 11,094 births
Compare Sam side by side: Sam vs Samuel Sam vs Sammy Sam vs Sammie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sam
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Sam: #650 Boys' Name - 127,234 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sam. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Sam draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.