Ali vs Samson
Ali and Samsoncompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Ali was ranked #106 and Samson #651 among boys in England and Wales.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Ali was ranked #136 and Samson #439 among boys in Norway.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Ali was ranked #189 and Samson #619 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Ali was ranked #240 and Samson #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Ali was ranked #342 and Samson #342 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Ali and Samson over time
Ali and Samson appear together in 3 published lists, across 79 years of shared records. Ali held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Samson in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Longest-running competitions
Ali and Samson were both ranked in Norway · Boys for 36 years, from 1969 to 2025, ending at #136 and #439.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Ali #183 in 2001, Samson #347 in 2001.
List by list
Norway · Boys36 shared years, 1969–2025
Ali held the stronger position in 36 of those years, Samson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ali #84 in 1992, Samson #349 in 2017.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Ali #136, Samson #439.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Ali held the stronger position in 29 of those years, Samson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ali #106 in 2024, Samson #452 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ali #106, Samson #651.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 1999–2024
Ali held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Samson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Ali #183 in 2001, Samson #347 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Ali #240, Samson #785.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Ali | Samson |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with 'elevated' or 'lofty, sublime', from the Arabic root 'to be high'. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Arabic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæli/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #58 (2025) | Norway · Boys #439 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Ali has a recorded origin (Arabic); Samson does not have one recorded yet.
- Ali and Samson both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Ali; Samson doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Ali
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #245 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1997–2025
Highest recorded position: #57 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2025).
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #58 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Samson
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #541 among boys in Norway in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #439 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys