The first name Samuel
A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “'god has set'”, “'god has placed'”, “i have asked/borrowed him from god”.
Pronounced /ˈsæmjuːəl/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Samuel means “'god has set'”, “'god has placed'”, “i have asked/borrowed him from god” in Hebrew.
From Latin Samuēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “'God has set' or 'God has placed'”). Taken to mean a contraction of popular folk etymology שְׁאִלְתִּיו מֵאֵל (“I have asked/borrowed him from God”) (Modern: Šəʾīltīv mēʾĒl, Tiberian: Šĭʾīltīw mēʾĒl) by way of שָׁאוּל מֵאֵל (“asked/borrowed from God”) from 1 Samuel 1:20.
More names that mean god.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 768 boys were named Samuel, making it the 66th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 6,367 births (#7).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Samuel with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Samuel at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 8,334 boys born in the United States were named Samuel, the 18th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2001, when 14,813 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Samuel in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Samuel in Catalan, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Scottish Gaelic, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog and Welsh too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Samuel
559 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Samuel JohnsonEnglish writer and lexicographer (1709–1784)
- Samuel Taylor ColeridgeEnglish poet, literary critic and philosopher (1772–1834)
- Samuel L. JacksonAmerican actor (born 1948)
- Samuel Finley Breese MorseAmerican inventor and painter (1791–1872)
- Samuel Eto'oCameroonian association football player, born 1981
- Samuel P. HuntingtonAmerican political scientist (1927–2008)
- Samuel de Champlain16/17th-century French explorer of North America, 1567–1635
- Samuel ButlerEnglish novelist and critic (1835–1902)
- Samuel Colt19th-century American industrialist and inventor (1814–1862)
- Samuel UmtitiFrench footballer (born 1993)
- Samuel C. C. TingChinese-American physicist, born 1936
- Baruch Samuel BlumbergAmerican physician, geneticist and Nobel prize winner (1925–2011)
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Samuel mean?
- Samuel means “'god has set'”, “'god has placed'”, “i have asked/borrowed him from god” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Samuel?
- From Latin Samuēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “'God has set' or 'God has placed'”). Taken to mean a contraction of popular folk etymology שְׁאִלְתִּיו מֵאֵל (“I have asked/borrowed him from God”) (Modern: Šəʾīltīv mēʾĒl, Tiberian:…
- How popular is the name Samuel?
- In 2025, 768 boys born in England and Wales were named Samuel, ranking 66th. Its peak was 1997, with 6,367 births.
- What are nicknames for Samuel?
- Common nicknames for Samuel include Sammy, Sammie, Sams, Uel.
- Is Samuel a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 823,085 US babies named Samuel since 1880 were boys.
- When was Samuel most popular?
- 2001 in the United States, when 14,813 babies were named Samuel, its highest rank at 26th.
- How do you pronounce Samuel?
- Samuel is /ˈsæmjuːəl/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Samuel?
- Shmuel.
- Is Samuel also a surname?
- Yes. Samuel is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.