Barra vs Samson
Barra 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Barra was ranked #275 and Samson #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Barra was ranked #342 and Samson #342 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Barra and Samson over time
Barra and Samson appear together in 1 published list, across 10 years of shared records. Barra held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Samson in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Samson reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Barra in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
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.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 2002–2024
Barra held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Samson in 1.
Highest recorded here: Barra #275 in 2024, Samson #384 in 2006.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Barra #275, 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 | Barra | Samson |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #170 (2025) | Norway · Boys #439 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 60/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Barra and Samson both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Barra
Popularity journey
First recorded1981
First recorded at #322 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1981 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Highest recorded1981–2025
Highest recorded position: #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025 (recorded 1981–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #170 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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