Sam
Boy · SAM · Hebrew
Big in ScotlandBig in Northern Ireland
Sam is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God has heard”. In 2025 it ranked 311th for boys in the UK (161 babies) and 647th for boys in the US (428 babies).
What does Sam mean?
Hebrew: short form of Samuel
“God has heard”
A short form of Samuel; Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's loyal companion in The Lord of the Rings, is known as Sam.
- Say it
- SAM
More on Wiktionary.
Is Sam a girl's or a boy's name?
Sam is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 161 boys in the UK and 24 girls and 428 boys in the US.
How popular is Sam in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #311among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 161about 1 in 1,900 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 40% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 161 boys in the UK were named Sam, making it the 311th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 232nd. Its busiest year was 1996, with 1,775 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 21 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named Sam since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named Sam in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2010. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 363rd in England and Wales, 144th in Scotland and 149th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1984 (#72), 1994 (#38) and 2004 (#54).
Sam in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 161 | #311 |
| 2024 | 180 | #287 |
| 2023 | 199 | #263 |
| 2022 | 216 | #244 |
| 2021 | 230 | #247 |
| 2020 | 244 | #232 |
| 2019 | 293 | #195 |
| 2018 | 368 | #171 |
| 2017 | 372 | #167 |
| 2016 | 427 | #157 |
| 2015 | 442 | #151 |
| 2014 | 560 | #125 |
| 2013 | 621 | #111 |
| 2012 | 659 | #110 |
| 2011 | 759 | #101 |
| 2010 | 883 | #86 |
| 2009 | 947 | #80 |
| 2008 | 1,099 | #72 |
| 2007 | 1,101 | #73 |
| 2006 | 1,197 | #66 |
| 2005 | 1,249 | #61 |
| 2004 | 1,490 | #51 |
| 2003 | 1,158 | #65 |
| 2002 | 1,247 | #57 |
| 2001 | 1,305 | #55 |
| 2000 | 1,368 | #56 |
| 1999 | 1,540 | #52 |
| 1998 | 1,582 | #54 |
| 1997 | 1,718 | #51 |
| 1996 | 1,775 | #48 |
How popular is Sam in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #647among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 428about 1 in 4,000 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 3% in five years
- Same name in a class
- under 1%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 428 boys in the US were named Sam, making it the 647th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 655th. Its busiest year was 1918, with 2,506 boys. 24 girls were also named Sam in 2025 (5,237th for girls).
2025 had more boys named Sam than any year since 2019.
Half of all the boys named Sam in the US since 1880 were born between 1918 and 1963, the years shaded on the chart below.
Sam in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 428 | #647 |
| 2024 | 425 | #650 |
| 2023 | 403 | #676 |
| 2022 | 418 | #658 |
| 2021 | 412 | #658 |
| 2020 | 402 | #655 |
| 2019 | 443 | #614 |
| 2018 | 453 | #604 |
| 2017 | 528 | #537 |
| 2016 | 478 | #579 |
| 2015 | 523 | #546 |
| 2014 | 523 | #533 |
| 2013 | 480 | #552 |
| 2012 | 510 | #517 |
| 2011 | 546 | #481 |
| 2010 | 550 | #471 |
| 2009 | 582 | #468 |
| 2008 | 608 | #457 |
| 2007 | 615 | #451 |
| 2006 | 586 | #461 |
| 2005 | 557 | #460 |
| 2004 | 595 | #435 |
| 2003 | 577 | #436 |
| 2002 | 561 | #442 |
| 2001 | 554 | #437 |
| 2000 | 517 | #460 |
| 1999 | 498 | #459 |
| 1998 | 492 | #457 |
| 1997 | 484 | #454 |
| 1996 | 527 | #428 |
| 1995 | 569 | #404 |
| 1994 | 554 | #411 |
| 1993 | 561 | #414 |
| 1992 | 575 | #400 |
| 1991 | 591 | #383 |
| 1990 | 586 | #395 |
| 1989 | 503 | #414 |
| 1988 | 479 | #413 |
| 1987 | 483 | #392 |
| 1986 | 381 | #441 |
| 1985 | 348 | #461 |
| 1984 | 363 | #444 |
| 1983 | 360 | #434 |
| 1982 | 373 | #433 |
| 1981 | 384 | #424 |
| 1980 | 364 | #429 |
| 1979 | 374 | #410 |
| 1978 | 417 | #377 |
| 1977 | 357 | #418 |
| 1976 | 397 | #388 |
| 1975 | 421 | #376 |
| 1974 | 436 | #366 |
| 1973 | 476 | #351 |
| 1972 | 497 | #346 |
| 1971 | 541 | #340 |
| 1970 | 600 | #320 |
| 1969 | 583 | #318 |
| 1968 | 568 | #319 |
| 1967 | 607 | #299 |
| 1966 | 678 | #284 |
| 1965 | 774 | #267 |
| 1964 | 955 | #248 |
| 1963 | 1,017 | #236 |
| 1962 | 1,070 | #236 |
| 1961 | 1,194 | #229 |
| 1960 | 1,211 | #228 |
| 1959 | 1,298 | #214 |
| 1958 | 1,177 | #225 |
| 1957 | 1,069 | #232 |
| 1956 | 951 | #238 |
| 1955 | 874 | #238 |
| 1954 | 873 | #238 |
| 1953 | 880 | #229 |
| 1952 | 940 | #215 |
| 1951 | 1,034 | #201 |
| 1950 | 956 | #207 |
| 1949 | 1,104 | #188 |
| 1948 | 1,238 | #176 |
| 1947 | 1,416 | #169 |
| 1946 | 1,304 | #164 |
| 1945 | 1,137 | #161 |
| 1944 | 1,212 | #157 |
| 1943 | 1,322 | #153 |
| 1942 | 1,280 | #152 |
| 1941 | 1,191 | #150 |
| 1940 | 1,147 | #150 |
| 1939 | 1,121 | #145 |
| 1938 | 1,162 | #141 |
| 1937 | 1,213 | #132 |
| 1936 | 1,236 | #131 |
| 1935 | 1,364 | #126 |
| 1934 | 1,321 | #127 |
| 1933 | 1,351 | #121 |
| 1932 | 1,454 | #119 |
| 1931 | 1,460 | #118 |
| 1930 | 1,668 | #110 |
| 1929 | 1,730 | #104 |
| 1928 | 1,759 | #109 |
| 1927 | 1,904 | #102 |
| 1926 | 2,033 | #92 |
| 1925 | 2,092 | #91 |
| 1924 | 2,123 | #91 |
| 1923 | 2,204 | #89 |
| 1922 | 2,349 | #84 |
| 1921 | 2,367 | #85 |
| 1920 | 2,283 | #84 |
| 1919 | 2,384 | #75 |
| 1918 | 2,506 | #75 |
| 1917 | 2,454 | #72 |
| 1916 | 2,313 | #74 |
| 1915 | 2,339 | #68 |
| 1914 | 1,880 | #67 |
| 1913 | 1,527 | #65 |
| 1912 | 1,325 | #63 |
| 1911 | 928 | #47 |
| 1910 | 888 | #39 |
| 1909 | 700 | #44 |
| 1908 | 644 | #46 |
| 1907 | 631 | #43 |
| 1906 | 552 | #43 |
| 1905 | 620 | #39 |
| 1904 | 603 | #40 |
| 1903 | 552 | #41 |
| 1902 | 559 | #41 |
| 1901 | 479 | #40 |
| 1900 | 821 | #34 |
| 1899 | 469 | #44 |
| 1898 | 543 | #42 |
| 1897 | 478 | #45 |
| 1896 | 518 | #43 |
| 1895 | 487 | #43 |
| 1894 | 507 | #43 |
| 1893 | 481 | #43 |
| 1892 | 551 | #38 |
| 1891 | 418 | #43 |
| 1890 | 489 | #41 |
| 1889 | 486 | #40 |
| 1888 | 607 | #34 |
| 1887 | 463 | #38 |
| 1886 | 519 | #34 |
| 1885 | 492 | #35 |
| 1884 | 533 | #33 |
| 1883 | 476 | #33 |
| 1882 | 555 | #30 |
| 1881 | 481 | #31 |
| 1880 | 457 | #36 |
Nicknames for Sam
- Sammy 28 boys in the UK in 2025
Names like Sam
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
James Jack John William Lewis Charles Ben Joseph Adam Jake Samuel Harry
Names related to Sam
More Hebrew names
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