Sam
Boy name · #647 in 2025 · Rare
Sam ranks #647 among American boys' names as of 2025, with 428 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #546, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 4,206 boys born in 2025 was named Sam.
The 145-year story
Sam first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 457 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1918, when 2,506 boys were named Sam — good for #75 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Sam per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Sam against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Sam in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Sam is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Sam will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Sam is most common
Geography matters for names, and Sam is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Sam is most common in UT (0.7 per 1,000), NY (0.6 per 1,000), MI (0.4 per 1,000), MA (0.4 per 1,000), NJ (0.4 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.3 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Sam is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Sam
Sam belongs to the Samuel family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Samuel family went to about 8,847 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #13, versus #647 for Sam alone.
Names like Sam
Statistically, parents drawn to Sam tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Hiram, Ben, Wilson, Hugh, and Sidney.
HiramBenWilsonHughSidneyAmosOtisElmer
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Sam | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 428 | #647 |
| 2024 | 425 | #650 |
| 2023 | 403 | #676 |
| 2022 | 418 | #658 |
| 2021 | 412 | #658 |
| 2020 | 402 | #655 |
| 2019 | 443 | #614 |
| 2018 | 453 | #604 |
| 2017 | 528 | #537 |
| 2016 | 478 | #579 |
| 2015 | 523 | #546 |
| 2014 | 523 | #533 |
| 2013 | 480 | #552 |
| 2012 | 510 | #517 |
| 2011 | 546 | #481 |
| 2010 | 550 | #471 |
| 2009 | 582 | #468 |
| 2008 | 608 | #457 |
| 2007 | 615 | #451 |
| 2006 | 586 | #461 |
| 2005 | 557 | #460 |
| 2004 | 595 | #435 |
| 2003 | 577 | #436 |
| 2002 | 561 | #442 |
| 2001 | 554 | #437 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Sam a popular boy name?
Sam ranked #647 among boys in 2025 with 428 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #546.
When was the name Sam most popular?
Sam peaked in 1918, when 2,506 American boys received the name (ranked #75 that year). Since 1918 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Sam?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 4,206 newborn American boys was named Sam. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.