boy's name · in the US
Sam
SAM (English)
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy (US)
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 171,898
the United States
#647
2025 births
Sam is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "God has heard," a short form of Samuel. It ranks 50th in Ireland and is stable across every market.
- Sam is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 1918, when 2,529 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 7,335 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Sam Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 5,080 |
| 1890s | 4,973 |
| 1900s | 6,226 |
| 1910s | 18,740 |
| 1920s | 21,107 |
| 1930s | 13,496 |
| 1940s | 12,456 |
| 1950s | 10,171 |
| 1960s | 8,788 |
| 1970s | 4,585 |
| 1980s | 4,110 |
| 1990s | 5,480 |
| 2000s | 5,848 |
| 2010s | 5,160 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 2,590 |
What Sam Means
Sam means God has heard, from Samuel. The Hebrew is read either as God has heard or as name of God, and the biblical text supports the first: Hannah names her son after praying for him.
Where Sam Comes From
Sam is a short form of Samuel, from the Hebrew Shemu'el, which admits two readings — shama El, God has heard, and shem El, name of God. First Samuel favors the first: Hannah, long childless, prays at Shiloh and names the child because the Lord heard her. Samuel is the prophet who anoints both Saul and David and effectively ends the era of the judges. Sam also serves as a short form of Samson, from shemesh, the sun, which is unrelated, and for women of Samantha, an eighteenth-century American coinage of uncertain construction. Sam has been registered as a standalone name in Britain and Ireland since the late twentieth century, part of the same move toward short forms that made Ben, Alfie and Charlie full names in their own right.
Sam in Use
Sam ranks 50th in Ireland with 106 births in 2025, its highest anywhere: 127th in Scotland, 363rd in England and Wales, 647th in the United States, and 293rd in France, where it also functions as a short form of Samir and Samia. It is stable with a peak in 1918 and it is on record from 1880.
How Popular Is Sam?
In 2025, Sam was given to 452 babies in the United States, ranking #647 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Sam Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Sam
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Sam Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Sam over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Boys' or Girls' Name?
Sam is used differently depending on where you are. Each figure is the share of babies given the name who were girls, over the last ten years of that country's records.
- United States Boys' 3% girls · 4,548 babies
- France Both 14% girls · 2,305 babies
- Canada Both 12% girls · 2,069 babies
- England & Wales Boys' 1% girls · 1,921 babies
- Ireland Boys' 0% girls · 1,439 babies
- Scotland Boys' 0% girls · 584 babies
- Northern Ireland Boys' 0% girls · 263 babies
How to Say Sam
- English SAM /sæm/
Sam in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Sam
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Sam — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Sam
What does the name Sam mean?
Sam means "God has heard," from Samuel.
Is Sam short for Samuel or Samson?
Usually Samuel. Samson is a separate Hebrew name from shemesh, the sun.
Is Sam a unisex name?
It is used for both, though it is recorded as a boy's name. For women it is generally short for Samantha.
How popular is Sam?
Fiftieth in Ireland, which is its strongest market.
How many syllables are in Sam?
Sam has 1 syllable.
Is Sam a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Sam currently ranks #50 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.