Total births
5,972
Boys' name · since 1953
Shmuel
5,972 babies named Shmuel in U.S. Social Security records since 1953, with the highest year being 2025. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #967
- among boys today
- 5,972
- born since 1953
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Shmuel is the #967 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 5,972 recorded since 1953.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Shmuel has been recorded 5,972 times among boys since 1953, currently ranked #967 nationally and more common than 93% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 2010s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1953 to 2025.
- #967 among boys today
- 5,972 born since 1953
- 2010s peak decade
- 93% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Shmuel is currently the #967 boys' name in America, more common than 93% of boys - 5,972 born since 1953, peaking in the 2010s.
- #967
- among boys today
- 5,972
- born since 1953
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 93%
- more common than other boys
Shmuel vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#967
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 93% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
31% of everyone ever named Shmuel was born in this single decade.
2025
Single peak year
256 babies were named Shmuel in 2025 - its busiest year on record.
How Shmuel compares
5,972 Top 11% higher than 89% 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
Shmuel's all-time total is 16x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Shmuel | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,972 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 256 | 23 | 22,252 |
Shmuel's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Shmuel splits its recorded history at 1991: 84% of all births land in the more recent half, 16% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1955 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2025 peak of 256 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Shmuel at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
2025
Current rank
#967
Active since
1953
Shmuel popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1953–2025
- Peak year (2025)
- 256
- Annual births at peak, across 73 years of records
Shmuel by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Shmuel's strongest decade.
1,850 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 31% of all-time use.
Shmuel births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 23
1950s
23 births
- 1960s 94
1960s
94 births
- 1970s 244
1970s
244 births
- 1980s 519
1980s
519 births
- 1990s 723
1990s
723 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,125 births
- 2010s
2010s
1,850 births
- 2020s
2020s
1,394 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 1,850 births (31% of all-time use).
How Shmuel 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 Shmuel's total volume
Shmuel vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Shmuel by state
Where Shmuel concentrates geographically, total births since 1953
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 3,032 | 50.8% |
| #2 | New Jersey | | 1,770 | 29.6% |
| #3 | California | | 84 | 1.4% |
| #4 | Maryland | | 82 | 1.4% |
| #5 | Florida | | 71 | 1.2% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 41 | 0.7% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 19 | 0.3% |
| #8 | Connecticut | | 5 | 0.1% |
New York share of Shmuel's total US births 50.8%
Even split
3,032 of 5,972 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Shmuel appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Shmuel? ▼
Shmuel has been given to 5,972 babies in the U.S. since 1953, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #967 as of the latest data. 256 babies were born in 2025, its single highest year.
When was Shmuel most popular? ▼
Shmuel was most popular in the 2010s decade with 1,850 total births. The single peak year was 2025.
Where is Shmuel most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Shmuel are New York (3,032 births), New Jersey (1,770 births), California (84 births).
How long has the name Shmuel been used? ▼
Records for Shmuel go back to 1953, giving 73 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Shmuel? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Shmiel, Shmaya, Shmeil, Shmar, and 2 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Shmuel's data
- Shmuel's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (1,850 total births) through the 2020s (1,394) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- New York records the most Shmuels (3,032 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 Shmuel
Nearby Names Like Shmuel
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Shmuel
Shmiel Boy
#2851 956 births
Shmaya Boy
#8667 91 births
Shmeil Boy
#10667 45 births
Shmar Boy
26 births
Shmaryahu Boy
12 births
Compare Shmuel side by side: Shmuel vs Shmiel Shmuel vs Shmaya Shmuel vs Shmeil
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Shmuel
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, 1953–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Shmuel: #967 Boys' Name - 5,972 Births, Peak 2025." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/shmuel. 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 Shmuel 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.