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Sam

Boy's name · #647 in the US (2025) · Timeless

Popularity over time

Few names move less than Sam — on the books since 1880, #647 in 2025, and dependable in between. Roughly 127,000 boys have carried the name since. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Sam is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 30 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

Sam is especially popular in the Netherlands.

#8 in Netherlands (2025) · #14 in Sweden (2025) · #48 in Finland (other-lang.) (2025) · #50 in Ireland (2025) · #130 in Belgium (2025) · #144 in Scotland (2025) · #149 in N. Ireland (2025) · #213 in Canada (2025) · #238 in Switzerland (2025) · #246 in Austria (2025) · #284 in New Zealand (2025) · #289 in Norway (2025) and 9 more.

Famous Sams

• Sam Worthington — Australian actor (born 1976)
• Sam Harris — American neuroscientist and philosopher (born 1967)
• Sam Altman — American entrepreneur and investor (born 1985)
• Sam Smith — English singer and songwriter (born 1992)
• Sam Rockwell — American actor (born 1968)
• Sam Neill — New Zealand actor (1947–2026)
• Sam Elliott — American actor (born 1944)
• Sam Raimi — American filmmaker (born 1959)
• Sam Shepard — American playwright and actor (1943–2017)
• Sam Mendes — British filmmaker and stage director (born 1965)

In stories & tradition

• Yosemite Sam — Looney Tunes (film series)
• Sam Winchester — Supernatural (TV series)
• Sam Fisher — Fictional character in the videogame and novel series "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell"

What Sams become

Among 4,446 notable people named Sam:

Sports figures appear 2.18× more often than among typical names — e.g. Sam Allardyce, English footballer and manager (born 1954).

Similar names: Sammy · Ben · Zack · Reuben · Hiram · Ira

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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