Sam

Primarily a boy's name · 92% boys

Meaning

Sam is a unisex given name. It is often short for other names, such as Samuel or Samantha.

From Wikipedia

Sam first appears in the data in 1991 and has been recorded in 34 different years as a boy's name. Its single biggest year was 2016 with 218 babies (rank #172 that year). In 2024 it was given to 145 boys (rank #228). Its popularity has been fairly steady recently.

Numerology of Sam

In Pythagorean numerology, every letter has a value from 1 to 9. Adding the letters of Sam yields these three numbers — a playful read on the name's character.

6Destiny numberThe carerNurturing, responsible, family at the centre.Sum of every letter. The overall character a name carries.
1Soul urgeThe leaderIndependent, pioneering, drawn to going first.Sum of the vowels — what's said to drive the heart.
5PersonalityThe free spiritCurious, restless, energised by change.Sum of the consonants — the outer impression.

4,947

Total babies (all years)

Years in the data

218

Peak in a single year

Popularity Over Time — Boys

Also a character in

In The Lord of the Rings: Samwise Gamgee — Frodo's loyal companion
In Marvel Cinematic Universe: Sam Wilson — the new Captain America
In Ted Lasso: Sam Obisanya — Nigerian defender

Famous people named Sam

Sam Worthingtonfilm actor · b. 1976
Sam Altmanprogrammer · b. 1985
Sam Rockwellmanufacturer · b. 1968
Sam Houstonpolitician · b. 1793
Sam Nujomaautobiographer · b. 1929

More popular boys' names

Names ranked near Sam in 2024

Other boys' names starting with S

Year-by-Year Detail

Rank is among all boys' names registered that year.

Year	Babies	Rank
1991	81	#320
1992	80	#328
1993	81	#320
1994	70	#330
1995	66	#381
1996	71	#357
1997	68	#360
1998	80	#314
1999	74	#324
2000	86	#282
2001	89	#274
2002	96	#247
2003	98	#265
2004	114	#241
2005	132	#221
2006	149	#202
2007	127	#240
2008	124	#249
2009	159	#216
2010	197	#179
2011	161	#215
2012	161	#223
2013	176	#208
2014	175	#214
2015	210	#181
2016	218	#172
2017	195	#197
2018	166	#224
2019	194	#196
2020	192	#185
2021	184	#201
2022	187	#184
2023	129	#247
2024	145	#228