Total births
3,901
Boys' name · since 1880
Sampson
Since 1880, U.S. Social Security records show 3,901 babies named Sampson, peaking in 2017. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #3397
- among boys today
- 3,901
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 76%
- more common than other boys
Sampson currently ranks #3397 among boys' names in America, with 3,901 babies recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show Sampson recorded 3,901 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #3397 nationally today, ahead of 76% of boys, peaking in the 2010s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #3397 among boys today
- 3,901 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 76% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Sampson is currently the #3397 boys' name in America, more common than 76% of boys - 3,901 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #3397
- among boys today
- 3,901
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 76%
- more common than other boys
Sampson vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#3397
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 76% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
11% of everyone ever named Sampson was born in this single decade.
2017
Single peak year
61 babies were named Sampson in 2017 - its busiest year on record.
How Sampson compares
3,901 Top 14% higher than 86% 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
Sampson's all-time total is 11x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Sampson | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 3,901 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 61 | 23 | 22,252 |
Sampson's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Sampson's full recorded timeline at 1953, 62% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 38% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2017 peak of 61 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Sampson at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
2017
Current rank
#3,397
Active since
1880
Sampson popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2017)
- 61
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Sampson by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Sampson's strongest decade.
445 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 11% of all-time use.
Sampson births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 76
1880s
76 births
- 1890s 103
1890s
103 births
- 1900s 118
1900s
118 births
- 1910s
1910s
249 births
- 1920s
1920s
348 births
- 1930s
1930s
266 births
- 1940s
1940s
246 births
- 1950s
1950s
303 births
- 1960s
1960s
243 births
- 1970s
1970s
222 births
- 1980s
1980s
312 births
- 1990s
1990s
365 births
- 2000s
2000s
354 births
- 2010s
2010s
445 births
- 2020s
2020s
251 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 445 births (11% of all-time use).
How Sampson 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 Sampson's total volume
Sampson vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Sampson by state
Where Sampson concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 117 | 3.0% |
| #2 | South Carolina | | 69 | 1.8% |
| #3 | North Carolina | | 52 | 1.3% |
| #4 | Georgia | | 37 | 0.9% |
| #5 | Alabama | | 32 | 0.8% |
| #6 | Florida | | 29 | 0.7% |
| #7 | Texas | | 16 | 0.4% |
| #8 | New Mexico | | 15 | 0.4% |
California share of Sampson's total US births 3.0%
Even split
117 of 3,901 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 18 reporting states.
Sampson appears in 18 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Sampson? ▼
3,901 babies have been named Sampson since 1880. It currently ranks #3397 among boys. The peak year was 2017 with 61 births.
When was Sampson most popular? ▼
Sampson was most popular in the 2010s decade with 445 total births. The single peak year was 2017.
Where is Sampson most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Sampson are California (117 births), South Carolina (69 births), North Carolina (52 births).
How long has the name Sampson been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Sampson since 1880 -- 146 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Sampson? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Samuel, Sam, Sammy, Sammie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Sampson's data
- Sampson's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (445 total births) through the 2020s (251) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Sampsons (117 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California 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 Sampson
Nearby Names Like Sampson
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Sampson
Samuel Boy
#17 820,196 births
Sam Boy
#650 127,234 births
Sammy Boy
#1544 43,382 births
Sammie Boy
#4893 20,836 births
Samson Boy
#522 12,879 births
Compare Sampson side by side: Sampson vs Samuel Sampson vs Sam Sampson vs Sammy
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Sampson
Ivory #3396
8,568 births · Peak 1950
Heber #3398
3,163 births · Peak 2005
Jimmie #3395
112,267 births · Peak 1934
Emmit #3399
4,260 births · Peak 2012
Rudolph #3394
53,441 births · Peak 1927
Walt #3400
2,634 births · Peak 1959
Rishiv #3393
148 births · Peak 2024
Macario #3401
2,824 births · Peak 2006
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. "Sampson: #3397 Boys' Name - 3,901 Births, Peak 2017." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/sampson. 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 Sampson 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.