Sam
A diminutive of the male given names Samuel and Samson.
Every Sam since 1880 — 128,810 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Sam
Sam is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #647 in 2025 with 428 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 128,810 American babies have been named Sam. Its peak came in 1918, when 2,529 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1910s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Sam stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Sam year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 24 | #5,370 | 428 | #647 |
| 2024 | 18 | #6,602 | 425 | #650 |
| 2023 | 11 | #9,498 | 403 | #676 |
| 2022 | 18 | #6,668 | 418 | #658 |
| 2021 | 19 | #6,376 | 412 | #659 |
| 2020 | 12 | #8,865 | 402 | #655 |
| 2019 | 14 | #8,072 | 443 | #618 |
| 2018 | 13 | #8,533 | 453 | #604 |
| 2017 | 12 | #9,254 | 528 | #537 |
| 2016 | 17 | #7,179 | 478 | #580 |
| 2015 | 12 | #9,393 | 523 | #547 |
| 2014 | 13 | #8,881 | 523 | #536 |
| 2013 | 14 | #8,504 | 480 | #553 |
| 2012 | 5 | #19,058 | 510 | #518 |
| 2011 | 14 | #8,548 | 546 | #481 |
| 2010 | 12 | #9,694 | 550 | #472 |
| 2009 | 15 | #8,384 | 582 | #469 |
| 2008 | 21 | #6,526 | 608 | #459 |
| 2007 | 9 | #12,474 | 615 | #452 |
| 2006 | 16 | #7,786 | 586 | #461 |
| 2005 | 12 | #9,347 | 557 | #460 |
| 2004 | 7 | #13,911 | 595 | #437 |
| 2003 | — | — | 577 | #436 |
| 2002 | — | — | 561 | #442 |
| 2001 | 10 | #9,957 | 554 | #438 |
| 2000 | 6 | #14,664 | 517 | #460 |
| 1995 | — | — | 569 | #404 |
| 1990 | 5 | #14,744 | 586 | #397 |
| 1985 | 11 | #6,360 | 348 | #461 |
| 1980 | 12 | #5,826 | 364 | #429 |
| 1975 | 9 | #6,344 | 421 | #376 |
| 1970 | 13 | #4,436 | 600 | #321 |
| 1965 | 16 | #3,238 | 774 | #267 |
| 1960 | 16 | #3,185 | 1,211 | #228 |
| 1955 | 11 | #3,749 | 874 | #239 |
| 1950 | 10 | #3,630 | 956 | #207 |
| 1945 | 7 | #3,966 | 1,137 | #161 |
| 1940 | 10 | #2,927 | 1,147 | #150 |
| 1935 | 10 | #2,901 | 1,364 | #126 |
| 1930 | 17 | #2,094 | 1,668 | #110 |
| 1925 | 25 | #1,738 | 2,092 | #91 |
| 1920 | 23 | #1,804 | 2,283 | #84 |
| 1915 | 27 | #1,395 | 2,339 | #68 |
| 1910 | 13 | #1,326 | 888 | #40 |
| 1905 | 8 | #1,518 | 620 | #39 |
| 1900 | 11 | #1,215 | 821 | #34 |
| 1895 | 5 | #1,777 | 487 | #43 |
| 1890 | 7 | #1,185 | 489 | #41 |
| 1885 | — | — | 492 | #35 |
| 1880 | — | — | 457 | #36 |
Famous people named Sam
- Sam Neill Actor · b. 1947
- Sam Peckinpah Film director · 1925–1984
- Sam Walton Businessperson · 1918–1992
- Sam Cooke Singer · 1931–1964
- Sam Shepard Writer · 1943–2017
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Sam mean?
A diminutive of the male given names Samuel and Samson.
How popular is the name Sam in 2025?
Sam ranked #647 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 428 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Sam?
128,810 babies have been named Sam in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Sam most popular?
Sam peaked in 1918, when 2,529 newborns received the name.
Is Sam a boy or girl name?
Sam is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 99% of babies with the name.
Is the name Sam rising or falling?
Sam has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named Sam?
Well-known people named Sam include Sam Neill (actor), Sam Peckinpah (film director), Sam Walton (businessperson).