Sam Boy

Popularity: #546 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Origin(s)

Pronunciationsam / sæm

Hebrew; English

Meaning

Hebrew: 'told by God'; English: diminutive of Samuel

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Sam is often used as a diminutive of Samuel, which has biblical origins. In Hebrew, Samuel means 'God has heard.' The name has been popular in various cultures, especially in English-speaking countries. It has also been used as an independent name, gaining popularity in its own right.

Trend Summary

The name Sam has remained consistently popular in the United States, often ranking within the top 100 names for boys.

Similar Names

SammySethSeanSaulSilasSimonSandySoren

Variants

  • Samuel
  • Sammy

International Variants

  • Samuele (Italian)
  • Samu (Finnish)
  • Santiago (Spanish)

Famous people named Sam

Sam Cooke was an influential American singer and songwriter known for his contributions to soul music.

Sam Mendes is a British film and stage director recognized for his work on films such as 'American Beauty' and 'Skyfall.'.

Sam Neill is a New Zealand actor famous for his roles in 'Jurassic Park' and 'The Piano.'.

Sam Smith is a British singer and songwriter who gained fame with hits like 'Stay With Me.'.

Fictional characters named Sam

Sam Winchester is one of the main characters in the TV series 'Supernatural,' portrayed as a demon hunter.

Sibling Suggestions

MaxBenJakeLeoTomAlex

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Sam was first seen in the United States in 1880. Sam has ranked as high as #176 nationally, which occurred in 1918, and has been most popular in New York, California, Illinois, Texas, and Mississippi. In the past 5 years the name Sam has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

Top States for Sam (2024)

StateBirthsShare
NY 57
17%
CA 40
12%
TX 34
10%
FL 17
5%
PA 15
4%
MA 15
4%
MI 13
4%
IL 12
3%
OH 12
3%
AZ 12
3%
VA 11
3%
WA 11
3%
GA 10
3%
TN 9
3%
IN 9
3%

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

YearBirths
1880457
1881481
1882555
1883476
1884533
1885492
1886519
1887463
1888607
1889486
1890489
1891418
1892551
1893481
1894507
1895487
1896518
1897478
1898543
1899469
1900821
1901479
1902559
1903552
1904603
1905620
1906552
1907631
1908644
1909700
1910888
1911928
19121,325
19131,527
19141,880
19152,339
19162,313
19172,455
19182,505
19192,384
19202,283
19212,367
19222,349
19232,204
19242,123
19252,092
19262,033
19271,904
19281,759
19291,730
19301,668
19311,460
19321,454
19331,351
19341,321
19351,364
19361,236
19371,213
19381,162
19391,121
19401,147
19411,191
19421,280
19431,322
19441,212
19451,137
19461,304
19471,416
19481,238
19491,104
1950956
19511,034
1952940
1953880
1954873
1955874
1956951
19571,069
19581,177
19591,298
19601,209
19611,192
19621,071
19631,016
1964955
1965774
1966678
1967607
1968567
1969583
1970600
1971541
1972497
1973476
1974437
1975420
1976398
1977357
1978417
1979374
1980365
1981384
1982374
1983360
1984363
1985348
1986381
1987483
1988479
1989503
1990586
1991591
1992575
1993561
1994554
1995569
1996527
1997484
1998492
1999498
2000517
2001554
2002561
2003577
2004593
2005557
2006586
2007614
2008608
2009581
2010550
2011545
2012510
2013480
2014523
2015523
2016478
2017527
2018453
2019442
2020402
2021412
2022418
2023403
2024423