Sam
MeaningGod has heard · English form of Samuel
- US rank
- #647
- Syllables
- 1
- Peak
- #30 in 1882
428 babies were named Sam in the US in 2025. It has climbed 8 places in five years.
Found on lists
Save adds it to your list. Vote moves it up the top voted names.
US births per million girls, 1888–2025
US births per million boys, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Sam you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Sam
Sam Rockwell
American actor (born 1968)
Choose Sam and your child shares a first name with Sam Rockwell, an American actor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Sam, like who?” Sam Rockwell's Wikipedia article is available in 64 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Sam Rockwell on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Photo: Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons
- How commonAbout 1 in every 3,990 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Sam, 428 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Sam would very likely be the only one.
- HistorySam has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Sams, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1882, when it ranked #30. Today it's #647, so it could be due a comeback.
- Where it's lovedSam is most popular in Montana, where it ranks #201, followed by Utah (#327) and New York (#367). It's in the top 1,000 in 28 states.
- MeaningSam is an English form of Samuel, which means “God has heard”.
About the name Sam
Sam is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “God has heard”. It has 3 letters and 1 syllable, starting with S and ending in “-sam”. US birth records list Sam for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1882, when it ranked #30 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #647, with 428 babies.
Origin:Hebrew names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 31 | 32,468 girls |
| 1890s | 15 | 67,431 girls |
| 1900s | 22 | 45,167 girls |
| 1910s | 24 | 40,833 girls |
| 1920s | 22 | 45,351 girls |
| 1930s | 14 | 72,886 girls |
| 1940s | 7.5 | 133,156 girls |
| 1950s | 6.2 | 161,290 girls |
| 1960s | 7.1 | 140,647 girls |
| 1970s | 4.4 | 227,273 girls |
| 1980s | 4.2 | 236,967 girls |
| 1990s | 2.4 | 420,168 girls |
| 2000s | 5.2 | 193,798 girls |
| 2010s | 7.2 | 138,696 girls |
| 2020s | 10 | 95,390 girls |
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 4,623 | 216 boys |
| 1890s | 4,327 | 231 boys |
| 1900s | 4,542 | 220 boys |
| 1910s | 3,052 | 328 boys |
| 1920s | 1,893 | 528 boys |
| 1930s | 1,266 | 790 boys |
| 1940s | 845 | 1,183 boys |
| 1950s | 497 | 2,011 boys |
| 1960s | 442 | 2,260 boys |
| 1970s | 273 | 3,664 boys |
| 1980s | 218 | 4,584 boys |
| 1990s | 279 | 3,586 boys |
| 2000s | 288 | 3,471 boys |
| 2010s | 268 | 3,737 boys |
| 2020s | 240 | 4,165 boys |
More Hebrew boy names
- Unisex name: Noah · rest, comfort
- Unisex name: James · supplanter
- Boy name: Elijah · my God is Yahweh
- Boy name: Mateo · gift of God
- Boy name: Benjamin · son of the right hand
- Boy name: Levi · joined, attached
- Unisex name: Elias · my God is Yahweh
- Boy name: Jack · God is gracious
Questions about the name Sam
What does the name Sam mean?
Sam means “God has heard” in English, as a form of Samuel.
What is the origin of the name Sam?
Sam has Hebrew roots in our records. Other Hebrew names include Noah, James, Elijah.
Is Sam a boy or girl name?
Sam is a boy name, though a few girls get it too.
How popular is the name Sam?
Sam ranked #647 for US boys in 2025, given to 428 babies. Its best year was 1882 (#30).