Samuel is a name of Hebrew origin, meaning "name of God". It is derived from the Hebrew word "shama" which means "to hear or to listen".
The name Samuel first appears in the Old Testament of the Bible, where he is introduced as the last judge of Israel and the prophet who anointed King David. In the biblical story, Hannah, his mother, prayed for a son and promised God that if her prayer was granted, she would dedicate him to serve God. When Samuel was born, Hannah fulfilled her promise by taking him to the Temple at Shiloh where he served under Eli the priest.
Over time, the name Samuel has been popular in many cultures around the world. It has been used by numerous notable figures throughout history including Samuel Adams, one of the founding fathers of the United States, and Samuel Beckett, an Irish playwright who won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Today, Samuel continues to be a popular name for boys, ranking among the top 100 names in many countries. Despite its biblical origins, the name Samuel has transcended religious boundaries and is now associated with a wide range of cultural and historical figures. Its meaning "name of God" may also have contributed to its enduring popularity as it signifies a connection to something greater than oneself.
The statistics provided show the annual number of births with the name Samuel in the United States from 1880 to 2023.
From 1880 to around 1945, the number of births named Samuel fluctuated between approximately 700 and 4000 births per year. However, starting in 1946, there was a significant increase in the popularity of the name Samuel, with over 4000 births per year.
The peak of popularity for the name Samuel occurred in 1987, with 8576 births. Since then, the number of births named Samuel has declined steadily, reaching a total of 7973 births in 2023.
Overall, from 1880 to 2023, there have been a total of 803262 births named Samuel in the United States. Despite fluctuations in popularity over time, Samuel remains a popular name choice for parents in the United States.