Sam

Boy name

Sam has been given to 128,810 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1918 and currently ranks #647 for boys (2025).

Meaning & origin /ˈsæm/

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

128,810

Peak year

1918 (2,529 babies)

Rank in 2025

#647 for boys

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▼ -16%

Gender split

1% girls / 99% boys

Famous people named Sam

Sam Worthington

Australian actor

Sam Altman

American venture capitalist

Sam Rockwell

American actor

Sam Houston

American statesman, politician, and soldier (1793-1863)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Sam.

Harveyboy

128,792 babies since 1880

Elmerboy

131,344 babies since 1880

Lesterboy

132,047 babies since 1880

Chesterboy

122,302 babies since 1880

Hermanboy

136,772 babies since 1880

Mauriceboy

138,943 babies since 1880

Miltonboy

118,551 babies since 1880

Cecilboy

114,676 babies since 1880

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