Sam

Primarily a boy's name · 100% 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 1996 and has been recorded in 21 different years as a boy's name. Its single biggest year was 1996 with 1,638 babies (rank #47 that year). It was not in the 2024 data. The name has been declining over the last five years.

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.

19,492

Total babies (all years)

Years in the data

1,638

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

Share your Sam story

Why did you choose this name — or what does it mean to you? Approved stories appear on this page.

More popular boys' names

Other boys' names starting with S

Year-by-Year Detail

Rank is among all boys' names registered that year.

Year	Babies	Rank
1996	1,638	#47
1997	1,562	#47
1998	1,441	#49
1999	1,375	#50
2000	1,211	#55
2001	1,132	#55
2002	1,069	#57
2003	981	#63
2004	1,227	#54
2005	1,009	#67
2006	952	#72
2007	869	#76
2008	901	#79
2009	735	#88
2010	692	#93
2011	579	#112
2012	522	#124
2013	465	#128
2014	405	#140
2015	330	#178
2016	300	#187