The story behind Samuel
From Latin Samuēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “'God has set' or 'God has placed'”). Taken to mean a contraction of popular folk etymology שְׁאִלְתִּיו מֵאֵל (“I have asked/borrowed him from God”) (Modern: Šəʾīltīv mēʾĒl, Tiberian: Šĭʾīltīw mēʾĒl) by way of שָׁאוּל מֵאֵל (“asked/borrowed from God”) from 1 Samuel 1:20.
Other language forms and explanations (8)
Czech entry
a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel
Finnish entry
From Latin Samūēl, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmûʾēl, literally “borrowed/asked from God”).
French entry
a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel
Polish entry
Learned borrowing from Latin Samuel, from Ancient Greek Σαμουήλ (Samouḗl), from Biblical Hebrew שְׁמוּאֵל (šəmūʾḗl).
Portuguese entry
a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel
Spanish entry
a male given name from Biblical Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel
Slovak entry
a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English Samuel
Tagalog entry
Borrowed from Spanish Samuel.
Pronunciation
English; dialect unspecified: /ˈsæmjuːəl/
Regional pronunciation variants
- Czech: [ˈsamuɛl]
- Finnish: /ˈsɑmuel/
- Finnish: [ˈs̠ɑ̝mue̞l]
- French: /sa.mɥɛl/
- Polish: /saˈmu.ɛl/
- Portuguese; Brazil: /sa.muˈɛw/
- Portuguese; Brazil: [sa.muˈɛʊ̯]
- Portuguese; Brazil: /saˈmwɛw/
- Portuguese; Brazil: [saˈmwɛʊ̯]
- Portuguese; Portugal: /sɐˈmwɛl/
- Portuguese; Portugal: [sɐˈmwɛɫ]
- Portuguese; Portugal; Southern: /sɐˈmwɛ.li/
- Spanish: /saˈmwel/
- Spanish: [saˈmwel]
- Slovak: /samuel/
- Slovak: [ˈsamuel]
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: /samˈwel/
- Tagalog; Standard-Tagalog: [sɐmˈwɛl]
Popularity
Samuel ranked #11753 in US for 2025.
Source: SSA national baby names
Names Similar to Samuel
Sibyl
Latin Sibylla, Ancient Greek Σίβυλλα (Síbulla, “sibyl”), name of ancient Greek prophetesses.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Sybil
A female given name from Ancient Greek, the most popular spelling variant of Sibyl since the 19th century.
- Gender
- feminine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Abel
English Abel From Middle English Abel, from Old English Ābel, from Latin Abel, from Ancient Greek Ἅβελ (Hábel), from Biblical Hebrew הֶבֶל (Héḇel, “Abel”), possibly from the…
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Ábel
From Hebrew הבל (Hebel).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Adriel
Borrowed from Hebrew עדריאל (“flock of God”).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Angel
A male given name, variant of Angelo Borrowed from English Angel. Borrowed from Spanish Ángel. Doublet of Angelo.
- Gender
- mixed
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends L
- same syllable count
- similar length
Middle Names for Samuel
Aabraham
From Biblical Hebrew אברהם ('aḇrāhām), of Biblical origin.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends M
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Abdia
Borrowed from Biblical Hebrew עוֹבַדְיָה (ovadya).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends A
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Abednego
From Hebrew עֲבֵד נְגוֹא, itself derived from a reconstructed Aramaic name meaning likely "servant of Nabu" or "servant of Nergal".
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 4 syllables
- Ending
- ends O
- balanced syllable contrast
- good length contrast
Sibling Names for Samuel
Aabraham
From Biblical Hebrew אברהם ('aḇrāhām), of Biblical origin.
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends M
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Aamos
Ultimately from Biblical Hebrew עמוס (Amos).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 2 syllables
- Ending
- ends S
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length
Aapeli
Vernacular form of the biblical Abel or Aabel, from Biblical Hebrew הֶבֶל (Héḇel).
- Gender
- masculine
- Syllables
- 3 syllables
- Ending
- ends I
- shared origin connection
- balanced name length