Samuel
Boy name · #18 in 2025 · Very well-known
Samuel is currently the #18 boy name in the United States — 8,334 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #23, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 216 boys born in 2025 was named Samuel.
The 145-year story
Samuel first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 1,024 boys received the name. Its peak came in 2001, when 14,813 boys were named Samuel — good for #26 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. 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 Samuel per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Samuel against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Samuel in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Samuel is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Samuel is most common
Geography matters for names, and Samuel is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Samuel is most common in DC (13 per 1,000), AK (11 per 1,000), AL (9.2 per 1,000), AR (7.9 per 1,000), MA (7.5 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 5.7 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Samuel is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Samuel
Samuel carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Samuel family went to about 8,847 boys in 2025 — together they'd rank around #13, versus #18 for Samuel alone.
Names like Samuel
Statistically, parents drawn to Samuel tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Gabriel, Daniel, Angel, Ethan, and Dylan.
GabrielDanielAngelEthanDylanJacobNathanAlexander
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Samuel | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,334 | #18 |
| 2024 | 8,355 | #17 |
| 2023 | 8,038 | #19 |
| 2022 | 8,427 | #19 |
| 2021 | 8,580 | #23 |
| 2020 | 8,594 | #25 |
| 2019 | 9,322 | #22 |
| 2018 | 9,854 | #21 |
| 2017 | 10,449 | #21 |
| 2016 | 10,621 | #21 |
| 2015 | 10,905 | #23 |
| 2014 | 11,029 | #23 |
| 2013 | 11,141 | #25 |
| 2012 | 11,470 | #25 |
| 2011 | 11,366 | #26 |
| 2010 | 11,971 | #24 |
| 2009 | 12,181 | #24 |
| 2008 | 12,774 | #27 |
| 2007 | 13,367 | #25 |
| 2006 | 13,652 | #25 |
| 2005 | 14,271 | #21 |
| 2004 | 14,131 | #23 |
| 2003 | 14,691 | #23 |
| 2002 | 14,579 | #25 |
| 2001 | 14,813 | #26 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Samuel a popular boy name?
Samuel ranked #18 among boys in 2025 with 8,334 babies given the name — firmly in the top 100, so yes, it’s a popular choice. Ten years earlier it ranked #23.
When was the name Samuel most popular?
Samuel peaked in 2001, when 14,813 American boys received the name (ranked #26 that year). Since 2001 the name has recovered some ground.
How rare is the name Samuel?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 216 newborn American boys was named Samuel. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very well-known".
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.