The name Samuel is from the Old Testament of the Bible, and derives from a Hebrew phrase meaning either “God has heard” or “name of God.” Samuel from the Bible is respected by Jews, Christians, and Muslims as a wise prophet, judge, and leader of ancient Israel.

Samuel has been a popular name throughout the English-speaking world since biblical names became common in the 16th century. It has consistently been a top-100 name for boys in the U.S. for over a century. The name Samuel dropped out of the top 50 from the late 1920s until the mid-1980s but came back up to the No. 50 spot in 1987. Since then it has surged, ranking No. 25 in 2002 and remaining in the top 30 ever since. The most recent statistics show that Samuel is the No. 25 baby name for boys in America. Although the name Samuel is typically used as a boy name, it can be used however you see fit, as sex doesn’t have to be a part of your name selection process.

Name Variations

As the Bible has been translated into virtually every known language, Samuel has many variant forms and spellings. These include:

İsmail (Turkish)Kamuela (Hawaiian)Saamuel (Estonian)Saimu’ala (Hindi)Sâmo’el (Persian)Samouí̱l (Greek)Samu (Hungarian)Samuil (Russian)Samuli (Finnish)Sāmūxel (Thai)Sawyl (Welsh)Shmu’el (Hebrew)Somhairle (Irish)

Similar Names

The nicknames Sam or Sammy are often short forms of Samuel, but they can also be short for Samson, another name from the Old Testament. The name Samson is derived from the Hebrew Shimshōn, meaning “man of the sun.” The feminine variant Samantha may be a mashup of the name Samuel and either the feminine name Anthea or the Greek word anthos meaning “flower.” Samara is another popular feminine name, not related to Samuel, but also commonly shortened to Sam. Other boy names starting with S:

SawyerSeamusSeanSebastianSethShepherdSimonSpencerStephenStuart

Other boy names from the Old Testament:

Aaron Abraham Benjamin David Ezra Jacob Joshua Levi Nathan Noah

Suggested Sibling Names

Here are a few names that may pair nicely with Samuel:

Daniel Deborah Elijah Evelyn Hannah Isaac Mark Matthew Miriam Ruth Sarah

Famous People Named Samuel

As noted, Samuel has been a popular name for a long time. It has lent itself to many famous people, including the following.

Famous Samuels

Samuel Adams (1722–1803), Founding Father of the United StatesSamuel Alito (born 1950), associate justice of the U.S. Supreme CourtSamuel Beckett (1906–1989), Irish playwright known for his play “Waiting For Godot"Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834), English poet, a founder of the Romantic movement in poetrySamuel “Shemp” Howard (birth name Samuel Horwitz, 1895-1955), American actor and comedian, member of the Three StoogesSamuel L. Jackson (born 1948), American film and television actor and film producerSamuel Morse (1791–1872), American inventor and artist, best known for developing Morse codeSamuel Walton (1918-1992), American businessman, founder of Walmart

Famous Sams

Sam Cooke (1931-1964), American singer and songwriter referred to as the “King of Soul"Sam Fuld (born 1981), former Major League Baseball player, and the general manager for the Philadelphia PhilliesSam McCullum (born 1952), former NFL player, wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota VikingsSam Mendes (born 1965), English stage and film director, known for such films as “American Beauty,” “Road to Perdition,” and “Skyfall"Sam Raimi (born 1959), American film director, known for the “Evil Dead” series and “Spider-Man” trilogyYosemite Sam, a common foil for Bugs Bunny in the “Looney Tunes” cartoons

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