Total births
820,196
Boys' name · since 1880
Samuel
820,196 babies named Samuel in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 2001. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #17
- among boys today
- 820,196
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
820,196 babies have been named Samuel since 1880, making it today's #17 boys' name.
Samuel has 820,196 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #17 as of the latest data, more common than 99.9% of boys, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #17 among boys today
- 820,196 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 99.9% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Samuel is currently the #17 boys' name in America, more common than 99.9% of boys - 820,196 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #17
- among boys today
- 820,196
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
Samuel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#17
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.9% of names given to boys today.
2000s
Peak decade
17% of everyone ever named Samuel was born in this single decade.
2001
Single peak year
14,813 babies were named Samuel in 2001 - its busiest year on record.
How Samuel compares
820,196 Top 0% higher than 100% 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
Samuel's all-time total is 2,235x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Samuel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 820,196 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 14,813 | 23 | 22,252 |
Samuel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Samuel's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 76% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 24%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1901, with only 628 births recorded -- set against the 2001 peak of 14,813, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Samuel at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2001
Current rank
#17
Active since
1880
Samuel popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2001)
- 14,813
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Samuel popularity over time - girls
2,889 total births recorded since 1890 (Samuel as girls' name)
Samuel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Samuel's strongest decade.
138,647 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 17% of all-time use.
Samuel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 9,129
1880s
9,129 births
- 1890s 7,857
1890s
7,857 births
- 1900s 8,149
1900s
8,149 births
- 1910s 34,166
1910s
34,166 births
- 1920s 43,362
1920s
43,362 births
- 1930s 32,135
1930s
32,135 births
- 1940s 43,129
1940s
43,129 births
- 1950s 53,767
1950s
53,767 births
- 1960s 44,247
1960s
44,247 births
- 1970s 48,099
1970s
48,099 births
- 1980s
1980s
73,456 births
- 1990s
1990s
125,597 births
- 2000s
2000s
138,647 births
- 2010s
2010s
108,128 births
- 2020s 50,328
2020s
50,328 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 138,647 births (17% of all-time use).
How Samuel 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 Samuel's total volume
Samuel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Samuel by state
Where Samuel concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 69,781 | 8.5% |
| #2 | Texas | | 61,287 | 7.5% |
| #3 | New York | | 52,939 | 6.5% |
| #4 | Pennsylvania | | 47,986 | 5.9% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 31,852 | 3.9% |
| #6 | Florida | | 31,660 | 3.9% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 30,271 | 3.7% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 30,078 | 3.7% |
California share of Samuel's total US births 8.5%
Even split
69,781 of 820,196 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Samuel appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Samuel? ▼
820,196 babies have been named Samuel since 1880. It currently ranks #17 among boys. The peak year was 2001 with 14,813 births.
When was Samuel most popular? ▼
Samuel was most popular in the 2000s decade with 138,647 total births. The single peak year was 2001.
Where is Samuel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Samuel are California (69,781 births), Texas (61,287 births), New York (52,939 births).
How long has the name Samuel been used? ▼
Records for Samuel go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Samuel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Sam, Sammy, Sammie, Samson, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Samuel's data
- Samuel's usage has stayed within range of its 2000s decade-level peak (138,647 total births) through the 2020s (50,328) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Samuels (69,781 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 Samuel
Nearby Names Like Samuel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Samuel
Sam Boy
#650 127,234 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 Samuel side by side: Samuel vs Sam Samuel vs Sammy Samuel vs Sammie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Samuel
Daniel #16
1,982,812 births · Peak 1985
Michael #18
4,426,753 births · Peak 1957
Jack #15
756,943 births · Peak 1927
Ethan #19
487,389 births · Peak 2004
Sebastian #14
218,055 births · Peak 2016
Asher #20
111,227 births · Peak 2022
Ezra #13
106,761 births · Peak 2024
John #21
5,182,633 births · Peak 1947
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. "Samuel: #17 Boys' Name - 820,196 Births, Peak 2001." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/samuel. 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 Samuel 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.