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Why parents love Samuel- His mother's prayer was answered — the ultimate meaning for a wanted child.
- He anointed Israel's first two kings — the original kingmaker.
- Three syllables with a warm, strong sound: SAM-yoo-el.
- Sam is one of the friendliest nicknames in any language.
- Samuel Adams and Samuel L. Jackson give it founding-father AND action-hero energy.
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The vibe of Samuel
heardprayerkingmakerSamfoundingJacksonwarmanswered
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Origin & history of Samuel
Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemu'el, heard by God)
→ English Samuel
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Hebrew roots
Samuel comes from the Hebrew Shemu'el, meaning heard by God or name of God. Hannah prayed desperately for a child, and God answered with Samuel (1 Samuel 1). Samuel grew up to become Israel's last judge and first prophet, anointing both Saul and David as kings. Samuel Adams (1722–1803) was a founding father of American independence. Samuel L. Jackson is the highest-grossing actor in film history (over $27 billion worldwide). Samuel Beckett wrote Waiting for Godot.
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First recorded
Earliest known use: Biblical — 1 Samuel, where Hannah's prayer for a child is answered.
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Today
Samuel remains a beloved choice, ranking #21 in the US. 814,600 babies have been named Samuel since 1880.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, Oxford Dictionary of First Names, 1 Samuel, SSA data
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How popular is Samuel?
2001
peak year
Samuel appears in U.S. registration data going all the way back to 1880, when records begin. Its popularity climbed over the following decades. In 2001, 14,813 babies were named Samuel (ranked #26 nationally). Today it sits in the top fifty (#21), with roughly 9,314 babies named Samuel each year. Samuel's usage has held roughly steady recently. In total, around 814,600 babies have been registered with this name since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations
1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
14,813
Babies named in peak year
(ranked #26)
(ranked #26)
9,314
Avg. per year
(last decade)
(last decade)
93,140
Total registrations
last 10 years
last 10 years
814,600
All-time total
(since 1880)
(since 1880)
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Numerology of Samuel8
Life path number
The Achiever
Ambition, authority and material mastery.
Samuel's Life Path 1 is the leader's number — the kingmaker. People named Samuel tend to be wise, influential, and gifted at identifying and elevating talent in others.
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Kingmaker✦
Wise influencer◈
God heard his name◎
Elevates others♡
Founding-father gravitasS1
A1
M4
U3
E5
L3
Sum: 17 → Life path 8
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Personality of Samuel💼
Built for success
They don't dream of achievement — they plan for it.
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Commanding presence
They walk in and people notice.
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Strategic mind
Always three moves ahead.
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Unbreakable
Setbacks sharpen them. Resilience is in their DNA.
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Famous people named SamuelClick any name to view their Wikipedia page.
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If you like Samuel, you may also love◎
Names that sound like SamuelIf you love Samuel, you might love these names with a similar sound, rhythm or feel.
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Names that combine with SamuelSibling pairings that share the timeless, classic energy of Samuel.
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Middle names for SamuelThe right middle name turns Samuel into a complete story. Explore options for first-and-middle pairings, then last-name flow.
Want a personalised middle name for Samuel? Try our dedicated generator with 1,000+ pairings.
♡ Generate middle name for Samuel →✦
Numerology life path calculatorEnter any full name and date of birth to discover the life path number — a core numerological indicator of personality, purpose and destiny.
First name
Middle name (optional)
Last name
Date of birth
7
Life path number
How we calculated this
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