Boy nameCurrently #651 in the USSteady
Sam
//ˈsæm//
1 syllablePeak year: 19183 lettersStarts with S
Meaning & origin
We're still researching Sam's meaning
We don't have a verified origin story for this name yet — we'd rather leave it blank than make one up. Check back soon, or explore the popularity data below in the meantime.
Sam's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Sam |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 457 |
| 1881 | 481 |
| 1882 | 555 |
| 1883 | 476 |
| 1884 | 533 |
| 1885 | 492 |
| 1886 | 519 |
| 1887 | 463 |
| 1888 | 612 |
| 1889 | 492 |
| 1890 | 496 |
| 1891 | 418 |
| 1892 | 551 |
| 1893 | 488 |
| 1894 | 515 |
| 1895 | 492 |
| 1896 | 518 |
| 1897 | 483 |
| 1898 | 543 |
| 1899 | 469 |
| 1900 | 832 |
| 1901 | 486 |
| 1902 | 566 |
| 1903 | 552 |
| 1904 | 608 |
| 1905 | 628 |
| 1906 | 558 |
| 1907 | 639 |
| 1908 | 649 |
| 1909 | 708 |
| 1910 | 901 |
| 1911 | 934 |
| 1912 | 1,338 |
| 1913 | 1,550 |
| 1914 | 1,898 |
| 1915 | 2,366 |
| 1916 | 2,336 |
| 1917 | 2,469 |
| 1918 | 2,528 |
| 1919 | 2,420 |
| 1920 | 2,306 |
| 1921 | 2,393 |
| 1922 | 2,377 |
| 1923 | 2,228 |
| 1924 | 2,153 |
| 1925 | 2,117 |
| 1926 | 2,055 |
| 1927 | 1,927 |
| 1928 | 1,791 |
| 1929 | 1,760 |
| 1930 | 1,685 |
| 1931 | 1,480 |
| 1932 | 1,472 |
| 1933 | 1,369 |
| 1934 | 1,328 |
| 1935 | 1,374 |
| 1936 | 1,255 |
| 1937 | 1,226 |
| 1938 | 1,177 |
| 1939 | 1,130 |
| 1940 | 1,157 |
| 1941 | 1,203 |
| 1942 | 1,297 |
| 1943 | 1,337 |
| 1944 | 1,222 |
| 1945 | 1,144 |
| 1946 | 1,312 |
| 1947 | 1,424 |
| 1948 | 1,248 |
| 1949 | 1,112 |
| 1950 | 966 |
| 1951 | 1,049 |
| 1952 | 950 |
| 1953 | 892 |
| 1954 | 887 |
| 1955 | 885 |
| 1956 | 962 |
| 1957 | 1,079 |
| 1958 | 1,190 |
| 1959 | 1,311 |
| 1960 | 1,225 |
| 1961 | 1,209 |
| 1962 | 1,094 |
| 1963 | 1,025 |
| 1964 | 964 |
| 1965 | 790 |
| 1966 | 692 |
| 1967 | 618 |
| 1968 | 575 |
| 1969 | 591 |
| 1970 | 613 |
| 1971 | 551 |
| 1972 | 503 |
| 1973 | 482 |
| 1974 | 443 |
| 1975 | 429 |
| 1976 | 398 |
| 1977 | 362 |
| 1978 | 424 |
| 1979 | 381 |
| 1980 | 377 |
| 1981 | 384 |
| 1982 | 381 |
| 1983 | 371 |
| 1984 | 369 |
| 1985 | 359 |
| 1986 | 389 |
| 1987 | 489 |
| 1988 | 485 |
| 1989 | 508 |
| 1990 | 591 |
| 1991 | 598 |
| 1992 | 575 |
| 1993 | 573 |
| 1994 | 554 |
| 1995 | 569 |
| 1996 | 535 |
| 1997 | 489 |
| 1998 | 492 |
| 1999 | 504 |
| 2000 | 523 |
| 2001 | 564 |
| 2002 | 561 |
| 2003 | 577 |
| 2004 | 600 |
| 2005 | 569 |
| 2006 | 602 |
| 2007 | 623 |
| 2008 | 629 |
| 2009 | 596 |
| 2010 | 562 |
| 2011 | 559 |
| 2012 | 515 |
| 2013 | 494 |
| 2014 | 536 |
| 2015 | 535 |
| 2016 | 495 |
| 2017 | 539 |
| 2018 | 466 |
| 2019 | 456 |
| 2020 | 414 |
| 2021 | 431 |
| 2022 | 436 |
| 2023 | 414 |
| 2024 | 441 |
Sam through the decades
- Sam peaked in 1918, when 2,528 babies were named Sam in the US.
- The 1920s were Sam's strongest decade, averaging 2,111 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Sam has fallen 19% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Sam currently ranks #651 in the US and is holding steady.