How Many People Are Named Samuel?
people named Samuel are alive in the United States today (estimate)
About 1 in 544 people in the US has this name
Based on 823,085 babies named Samuel in Social Security records from 1880 to 2025, and the share of each birth year still alive in 2025.
Popularity Rank
⭐⭐ Common
Peak Year
14,845 births
Trend
Declining (last 10 years)
📖 Name Origin & Meaning
Meaning:
From the Hebrew name שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemu'el) which could mean either "name of God" or "God has heard". As told in the Books of Samuel in the Old Testament, Samuel was the last of the ruling judges. He led the Israelites during a period of domination by the Philistines, who were ultimately defeated in battle at Mizpah. Later he anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel, and even later anointed his successor David.
Source of the meaning, origin, pronunciation and related names: Behind the Name.
⚧ Gender Distribution
Almost all of the babies given the name Samuel (99.7%) were boys.
👥 Age Distribution
The average person named Samuel alive today is about 31 years old, and 56% are under 30. Half of them were between 15 and 43 in 2025.
📈 Popularity Over Time
Samuel first appears in the records in 1880 and was given most often in 2001, to 14,845 babies. In 2025, 8,342 babies got the name. Over the last ten years, the number each year has been falling.
Babies given the name each year, 1880 to 2025
🏆 Rank History
Samuel never made the top 10 boys' names. Its best rank was #17, in 1880 to 1884 and 2024, and it was in the top 100 for 146 years, 1880 to 2025. In 2025 it ranked #18.
| Boys | |
|---|---|
| Rank in 2025 | #18 |
| Best rank | #17 (1880 to 1884 and 2024) |
| Years in the top 100 | 146 (1880 to 2025) |
| Rank in its biggest decade | #24 in the 2000s |
📍 State-Wise Distribution
People named Samuel alive today, by the state where they were born (estimate; state records start in 1910).
More people named Samuel were born in California than in any other state: about 64,143 of those alive today. Compared with the national rate in the same years, Samuel was given 1.6 times as often in South Carolina, 1.5 times in District of Columbia and 1.4 times in Alaska.
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