Sampson
Sampson was given to 34 boys in 2025, #3,434 among boys’ names; 3,901 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 2,420 Americans named Sampson and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (62% of everyone recorded); the median is 31 years old and half are between 14 and 52.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Sampson by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Sampson mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Sampson is “a male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.”
A variant of Samson.
/ˈsæmp.sən/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Sampson?
#3,434 among boys’ names, 2025
Sampson fell from #2,322 in 2015 to #3,434 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born fell from 29.7 to 19.9 per million.
61 babies in 2017, the peak
Sampson peaked in 2017, when 61 boys were given it, #2,212 among boys’ names. The 34 births of 2025 are 56% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 34 | #3,434 | 0.02 |
| 2024 | 34 | #3,444 | 0.02 |
| 2023 | 38 | #3,214 | 0.02 |
| 2022 | 42 | #2,987 | 0.02 |
| 2021 | 46 | #2,765 | 0.03 |
| 2020 | 57 | #2,362 | 0.03 |
| 2019 | 41 | #2,984 | 0.02 |
| 2018 | 50 | #2,571 | 0.03 |
| 2017 | 61 | #2,212 | 0.03 |
| 2016 | 51 | #2,510 | 0.03 |
Every recorded year (146)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 57 | #2,322 | 0.03 |
| 2014 | 42 | #2,836 | 0.02 |
| 2013 | 39 | #2,941 | 0.02 |
| 2012 | 38 | #3,051 | 0.02 |
| 2011 | 35 | #3,227 | 0.02 |
| 2010 | 31 | #3,513 | 0.02 |
| 2009 | 34 | #3,317 | 0.02 |
| 2008 | 40 | #2,997 | 0.02 |
| 2007 | 43 | #2,798 | 0.02 |
| 2006 | 37 | #3,018 | 0.02 |
| 2005 | 35 | #3,000 | 0.02 |
| 2004 | 29 | #3,351 | 0.01 |
| 2003 | 34 | #2,911 | 0.02 |
| 2002 | 35 | #2,736 | 0.02 |
| 2001 | 31 | #2,973 | 0.02 |
| 2000 | 36 | #2,609 | 0.02 |
| 1999 | 51 | #1,923 | 0.03 |
| 1998 | 44 | #2,116 | 0.02 |
| 1997 | 33 | #2,489 | 0.02 |
| 1996 | 34 | #2,369 | 0.02 |
| 1995 | 34 | #2,334 | 0.02 |
| 1994 | 39 | #2,112 | 0.02 |
| 1993 | 33 | #2,331 | 0.02 |
| 1992 | 33 | #2,289 | 0.02 |
| 1991 | 29 | #2,451 | 0.01 |
| 1990 | 35 | #2,116 | 0.02 |
| 1989 | 36 | #2,019 | 0.02 |
| 1988 | 40 | #1,759 | 0.02 |
| 1987 | 29 | #2,102 | 0.02 |
| 1986 | 33 | #1,865 | 0.02 |
| 1985 | 31 | #1,912 | 0.02 |
| 1984 | 24 | #2,222 | 0.01 |
| 1983 | 28 | #1,948 | 0.02 |
| 1982 | 27 | #2,048 | 0.01 |
| 1981 | 33 | #1,758 | 0.02 |
| 1980 | 31 | #1,847 | 0.02 |
| 1979 | 23 | #2,221 | 0.01 |
| 1978 | 34 | #1,646 | 0.02 |
| 1977 | 28 | #1,849 | 0.02 |
| 1976 | 26 | #1,919 | 0.02 |
| 1975 | 20 | #2,272 | 0.01 |
| 1974 | 20 | #2,184 | 0.01 |
| 1973 | 19 | #2,195 | 0.01 |
| 1972 | 17 | #2,309 | 0.01 |
| 1971 | 14 | #2,662 | 0.01 |
| 1970 | 21 | #1,978 | 0.01 |
| 1969 | 28 | #1,559 | 0.02 |
| 1968 | 21 | #1,775 | 0.01 |
| 1967 | 16 | #2,016 | 0.01 |
| 1966 | 17 | #1,953 | 0.01 |
| 1965 | 18 | #1,904 | 0.01 |
| 1964 | 27 | #1,536 | 0.01 |
| 1963 | 28 | #1,506 | 0.01 |
| 1962 | 22 | #1,750 | 0.01 |
| 1961 | 33 | #1,399 | 0.02 |
| 1960 | 33 | #1,395 | 0.02 |
| 1959 | 31 | #1,435 | 0.01 |
| 1958 | 21 | #1,757 | 0.01 |
| 1957 | 29 | #1,481 | 0.01 |
| 1956 | 42 | #1,185 | 0.02 |
| 1955 | 34 | #1,308 | 0.02 |
| 1954 | 38 | #1,222 | 0.02 |
| 1953 | 25 | #1,544 | 0.01 |
| 1952 | 33 | #1,317 | 0.02 |
| 1951 | 23 | #1,592 | 0.01 |
| 1950 | 27 | #1,425 | 0.02 |
| 1949 | 35 | #1,224 | 0.02 |
| 1948 | 28 | #1,395 | 0.02 |
| 1947 | 19 | #1,777 | 0.01 |
| 1946 | 28 | #1,351 | 0.02 |
| 1945 | 19 | #1,569 | 0.01 |
| 1944 | 19 | #1,617 | 0.01 |
| 1943 | 32 | #1,239 | 0.02 |
| 1942 | 23 | #1,489 | 0.02 |
| 1941 | 18 | #1,682 | 0.01 |
| 1940 | 25 | #1,362 | 0.02 |
| 1939 | 27 | #1,295 | 0.02 |
| 1938 | 28 | #1,273 | 0.03 |
| 1937 | 18 | #1,679 | 0.02 |
| 1936 | 28 | #1,268 | 0.03 |
| 1935 | 21 | #1,534 | 0.02 |
| 1934 | 20 | #1,601 | 0.02 |
| 1933 | 27 | #1,304 | 0.03 |
| 1932 | 26 | #1,381 | 0.02 |
| 1931 | 34 | #1,190 | 0.03 |
| 1930 | 37 | #1,170 | 0.03 |
| 1929 | 29 | #1,333 | 0.03 |
| 1928 | 34 | #1,249 | 0.03 |
| 1927 | 39 | #1,158 | 0.03 |
| 1926 | 29 | #1,378 | 0.03 |
| 1925 | 35 | #1,219 | 0.03 |
| 1924 | 30 | #1,376 | 0.03 |
| 1923 | 30 | #1,355 | 0.03 |
| 1922 | 40 | #1,137 | 0.04 |
| 1921 | 39 | #1,156 | 0.04 |
| 1920 | 43 | #1,086 | 0.04 |
| 1919 | 41 | #1,080 | 0.04 |
| 1918 | 36 | #1,169 | 0.04 |
| 1917 | 21 | #1,633 | 0.02 |
| 1916 | 30 | #1,235 | 0.03 |
| 1915 | 23 | #1,449 | 0.03 |
| 1914 | 34 | #964 | 0.05 |
| 1913 | 22 | #1,103 | 0.04 |
| 1912 | 23 | #964 | 0.05 |
| 1911 | 7 | #1,511 | 0.03 |
| 1910 | 12 | #974 | 0.06 |
| 1909 | 13 | #835 | 0.08 |
| 1908 | 9 | #1,014 | 0.06 |
| 1907 | 10 | #923 | 0.07 |
| 1906 | 7 | #1,099 | 0.05 |
| 1905 | 12 | #732 | 0.09 |
| 1904 | 13 | #679 | 0.10 |
| 1903 | 10 | #771 | 0.08 |
| 1902 | 14 | #611 | 0.11 |
| 1901 | 10 | #720 | 0.09 |
| 1900 | 20 | #551 | 0.13 |
| 1899 | 18 | #452 | 0.17 |
| 1898 | 23 | #415 | 0.19 |
| 1897 | 11 | #673 | 0.10 |
| 1896 | 7 | #967 | 0.06 |
| 1895 | 10 | #734 | 0.09 |
| 1894 | 7 | #940 | 0.06 |
| 1893 | 6 | #1,012 | 0.05 |
| 1892 | 8 | #850 | 0.07 |
| 1891 | 5 | #1,101 | 0.05 |
| 1890 | 8 | #803 | 0.07 |
| 1889 | 8 | #777 | 0.07 |
| 1888 | 9 | #747 | 0.07 |
| 1887 | 6 | #902 | 0.06 |
| 1886 | 8 | #749 | 0.07 |
| 1885 | 8 | #754 | 0.07 |
| 1884 | 10 | #649 | 0.09 |
| 1883 | 6 | #868 | 0.06 |
| 1882 | 8 | #744 | 0.07 |
| 1881 | 8 | #691 | 0.08 |
| 1880 | 5 | #1,037 | 0.05 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Sampson a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Sampson has been recorded only for boys: SSA lists no girls with the name in 146 years of records (it lists a name only in years with 5 or more babies of a sex).
Girls and boys named Sampson: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Sampson, and how old are they?
2,420 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 62% of the 3,901 Americans ever recorded as Sampson. The median Sampson alive today is 31 years old; half are between 14 and 52.
The 2020 Census counted 2,243 people named Sampson (18 women and girls, 2,225 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 2,335 born in the U.S. The Census count is 4% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 82 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 368 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 313 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 492 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 576 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 588 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Sampson born?
The states with the most babies named Sampson are California, South Carolina and North Carolina, with 54% of its births recorded by state since 1910; South Carolina is not among the ten states with the most births.
| State | Since 1910 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 117 | not ranked | 0.3× |
| South Carolina | 69 | not ranked | 1.2× |
| North Carolina | 52 | not ranked | 0.5× |
| Georgia | 37 | not ranked | 0.3× |
| Alabama | 32 | not ranked | 0.4× |
| Florida | 29 | not ranked | 0.2× |
| Texas | 16 | not ranked | 0.1× |
| New Mexico | 15 | not ranked | 0.7× |
| Louisiana | 13 | not ranked | 0.2× |
| Mississippi | 11 | not ranked | 0.2× |
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Sampson with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Sampson
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Sampson and names like it
- Compare Sampson and JohnsonBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2010sSampson peaked in 2017.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Sampson since 1910.
- Hebrew namesWiktionary’s origin for Sampson: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2017The year the most babies were named Sampson.
- The names of Generation AlphaMost people named Sampson alive today were born 2013-2025.
- Names starting with SMost given first.