Belinda vs Sam

Belinda and Samcompared 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 · Girls
In 2023, Belinda was ranked #5687 and Sam #4056 among girls in England and Wales.

Belinda and Sam over time

Belinda and Sam appear together in 1 published list, across 14 years of shared records. Belinda held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Sam in 0.

The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Belinda reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Sam 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.

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.

Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Girls within 2 years — Belinda #571 in 1996, Sam #1697 in 1998.

List by list

England and Wales · Girls14 shared years, 1996–2023
Belinda held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Sam in 2.
Highest recorded here: Belinda #571 in 1996, Sam #1697 in 1998.
The order changed in 2023: Sam moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #2432 and #4764; by 2023 that had become #5687 and #4056.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Belinda #5687, Sam #4056.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Belinda

Pairs where Belinda shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Karen vs Belinda
In 1974, Belinda moved ahead of Karen in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #6 and #8 the year before became #9 and #6.
Karen · Belinda · 30 shared years, 1957–1986 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1974 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Jessica vs Belinda
In 1982, Jessica moved ahead of Belinda in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #21 and #10 the year before became #7 and #17.
Jessica · Belinda · 17 shared years, 1976–1992 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1982 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Sarah vs Belinda
In 1977, Sarah moved ahead of Belinda in New South Wales, Australia · Girls — #11 and #6 the year before became #7 and #8.
Sarah · Belinda · 28 shared years, 1965–1992 · One moved ahead of the other
See the 1977 New South Wales, Australia ranking
Angela vs Belinda
Across 36 shared years in New South Wales, Australia · Girls, Angela and Belinda averaged 7.6 places apart, ending at #58 and #88.
Angela · Belinda · 36 shared years, 1957–1992 · Closest over the longest run
See the 1992 New South Wales, Australia ranking

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Belinda, Sam
Field	Belinda	Sam
Record type	Official statistical record (evidence-only)	Official statistical record (evidence-only)
Gender usage	female	male
Meaning	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Origin	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Pronunciation		Not yet recorded
Syllables	3	1
Common variants / nicknames	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Recorded regional usage	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ	AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observation	England and Wales · Girls #3695 (2024)	Republic of Ireland · Boys #50 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)	Not yet recorded	Not yet recorded
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)	82/100	95/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)	100/100	100/100
Data Confidence	medium	medium

What the data shows

Belinda has 3 syllables, compared with 1 for Sam.
Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NO, NZ.

How each name got here

Belinda

Popularity journey

First recorded1957
First recorded at #92 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1957 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1957–1992
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1974 (recorded 1957–1992).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3695 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls

Sam

Popularity journey

First recorded1959
First recorded at #340 among boys in Norway in 1959 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1983–2025
Highest recorded position: #38 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2015 (recorded 1983–2025).
Republic of Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #289 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys