Sam Name Meaning, Popularity and Origins
Origin:
Hebrew
Gender Distribution:
99% Masculine / 1% Feminine
Meaning:
Sam is a nickname for Samuel, meaning 'name of God' or 'heard by God'.
Meaning of the Name Sam
Sam is a short form of the name Samuel, which is derived from the Hebrew name Shmuel meaning 'name of God' or 'heard by God'. It has been used as a given name for centuries and has biblical origins. Sam is often used as a nickname for both boys and girls, and it carries a sense of strength and familiarity.
Popularity of the Name Sam
The popularity for the name Sam peaked in popularity in the year 1918 with 2,505 births, which ranked number 177 out of 9,303 unique names for that year. Sam had the most female births in 1919 with 36, which ranked number 1,270 out of 5,559 female names for that year, and had the most male births in 1918 with 2,505, which ranked number 75 out of 4,813 male names for that year. The number of births for the name Sam has declined sharply over the last ten years from 515 births to 432 births, a decline of -16.12%. Among males, Sam has declined sharply in popularity over the last ten years from 510 births to 414 births, a decline of -18.82%. Among females, Sam has increased sharply in popularity over the last ten years from 5 births to 18 births, an increase of 260.00%.
Nationwide Popularity of Sam
- 20 Year Trend of Sam: -22.86%
- 10 Year Trend of Sam: -16.12%
- 10 Year Male Trend of Sam: -18.82%
- 10 Year Female Trend of Sam: 260.00%
Popularity of Sam by State
For males, Sam was most popular in Western states with 107 births in the region. It was most commonly seen in CA, with 64 male births. See below for a full state by state breakdown of the name Sam. States with less than five births recorded will not be shown.
| State | Male Births | Male Gender Rank | Female Births | Female Gender Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AL | 6 | 685 | < 5 | N/A |
| AZ | 9 | 624 | < 5 | N/A |
| CA | 64 | 501 | < 5 | N/A |
| CO | 8 | 591 | < 5 | N/A |
| CT | 7 | 394 | < 5 | N/A |
| FL | 23 | 653 | < 5 | N/A |
| GA | 9 | 923 | < 5 | N/A |
| IL | 20 | 494 | < 5 | N/A |
| IN | 8 | 698 | < 5 | N/A |
| MA | 11 | 433 | < 5 | N/A |
| MD | 9 | 534 | < 5 | N/A |
| MI | 10 | 701 | < 5 | N/A |
| MN | 11 | 480 | < 5 | N/A |
| NC | 7 | 1031 | < 5 | N/A |
| NJ | 17 | 443 | < 5 | N/A |
| NY | 56 | 324 | < 5 | N/A |
| OH | 13 | 662 | < 5 | N/A |
| OR | 7 | 474 | < 5 | N/A |
| PA | 5 | 1245 | < 5 | N/A |
| SC | 5 | 733 | < 5 | N/A |
| TX | 32 | 813 | < 5 | N/A |
| UT | 14 | 333 | < 5 | N/A |
| VA | 9 | 712 | < 5 | N/A |
| WA | 14 | 505 | < 5 | N/A |
2024 Popularity Projections for Sam
- Total Births of Sam: 424 (-1.74%)
- Male Births of Sam: 405 (-2.06%)
- Female Births of Sam: 20 (13.67%)
Given the downward trend of Sam over the last 10 years, we expect this to continue in 2024 with roughly a -1.74% decrease in total births, for a total of 424 births in 2024. Male births for Sam have been decreasing over the past decade, so we anticipate roughly 405 male births in 2024, a decrease of -2.06%. For Females, births for Sam have been increasing over the past 10 years, and we expect roughly 20 female births in 2024, an increase of 13.67%.