Sam

Sam: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “heard by God”
Origin: Hebrew
Say it: SAM · 1 syllable
Used for: Boys

Usually a short form of Samuel, from Hebrew Shemu'el. It is also used for names such as Samson or Samantha, but Samuel is the standard source.

English names Hebrew names Names meaning faith Short names Biblical names Classic names

How popular is Sam?

2024132 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Sam in 2024441

2024 rank#650 boys

Peak year1882

Total US babies since 1880128,347

Sam is steady now but far below its 1882 peak.

Names like Sam

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Samuelname of God · Hebrew
Shmuelheard by God · Hebrew
SammyGod has heard · Hebrew
Sammietold by God · English
SamualGod has heard · Hebrew
Noahrest; comfort · Hebrew
Jamessupplanter · Hebrew
Elijahmy God is Yahweh · Hebrew

Sam questions

What does the name Sam mean?

Sam means "heard by God". It comes from Hebrew. Usually a short form of Samuel, from Hebrew Shemu'el. It is also used for names such as Samson or Samantha, but Samuel is the standard source.

Is Sam a boy or girl name?

Sam is mainly a boy's name in US records (99% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Sam?

441 US babies were named Sam in 2024. Its peak year was 1882.

How do you pronounce Sam?

Sam is usually pronounced SAM.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.