Samuel
Samuel is a boys' name of Hebrew origin meaning “God has heard.” It ranked #18 in the United States in 2025. A major prophet in the Hebrew Bible who anointed the first kings of Israel.
how do you pronounce Samuel?
SAM-yoo-el
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Samuel mean?
The name Samuel means “God has heard.” It comes from the Hebrew language tradition.
A major prophet in the Hebrew Bible who anointed the first kings of Israel. The name has remained consistently popular across centuries and cultures.
where does the name Samuel come from?
From the Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (Shmuel), which admits two readings: name of God, or heard by God. The first book of Samuel prefers the second, since Hannah names him because she asked the Lord for him, drawing on the verb shama, to hear.
the history of Samuel
Samuel is the last of the judges and the prophet who anoints both Saul and David, standing at the hinge between two forms of Israelite government. The name was taken up enthusiastically by English Puritans and carried to America, where Samuel Adams, Samuel Morse and Samuel Clemens all bore it, and it has stayed in the top forty for decades.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #18 |
| 2023 | #19 |
| 2022 | #20 |
| 2021 | #20 |
| 2020 | #21 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Samuel?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Samuel?
- Samuel L. Jackson (actor)
- Samuel Adams (Founding Father)
- Samuel Beckett (playwright)
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge (poet)
what names are similar to Samuel?
what names go well with Samuel?
Sibling names that share Samuel's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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