Benjamin vs Samuel
Benjamin and Samuelcompared 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.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #46 and Samuel #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2023, Benjamin was ranked #39 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #48 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #61 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #76 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Benjamin was ranked #78 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Benjamin was ranked #83 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Benjamin and Samuel over time
Benjamin and Samuel appear together in 6 published lists, across 284 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Benjamin in 2.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Benjamin reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Samuel in 2. 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.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2025, Samuel moved ahead of Benjamin in New South Wales, Australia · Boys — #44 and #51 the year before became #46 and #38.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Benjamin and Samuel changed places 4 times in England and Wales · Boys between 1996 and 2024, ending at #61 and #60.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Benjamin and Samuel averaged 6.6 places apart, ending at #61 and #60.
- Longest-running competitions
Benjamin and Samuel were both ranked in New South Wales, Australia · Boys for 53 years, from 1972 to 2025, ending at #46 and #38.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in England and Wales · Boys within 2 years — Benjamin #6 in 2002, Samuel #6 in 2004.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys62 shared years, 1964–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Samuel in 54.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #50 in 2020, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #83, Samuel #76.
Norway · Boys61 shared years, 1950–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 55 of those years, Samuel in 6.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #13 in 2016, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order changed in 1975: Benjamin moved ahead. In 1974 they stood at #343 and #326; by 1975 that had become #244 and #505.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #48, Samuel #75.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys53 shared years, 1972–2025
Benjamin held the stronger position in 40 of those years, Samuel in 13.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #5 in 1977, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order changed in 2025: Samuel moved ahead. In 2024 they stood at #44 and #51; by 2025 that had become #46 and #38.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Benjamin #46, Samuel #38.
New Zealand · Boys51 shared years, 1973–2023
Benjamin held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Samuel in 26.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #3 in 2003, Samuel #3 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Benjamin #39, Samuel #50.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Samuel in 22.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #6 in 2002, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #61, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Benjamin held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Samuel in 16.
Highest recorded here: Benjamin #22 in 2002, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order changed in 2024: Samuel moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #73 and #79; by 2024 that had become #76 and #64.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Benjamin #76, Samuel #64.
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 | Benjamin | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Commonly interpreted as 'son of the right hand', with the underlying literal sense being 'son of the south' (since 'right' indicated the southerly direction in the biblical east-facing orientation convention). | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Biblical Hebrew | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈbɛndʒəmɪn/ | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #46 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Benjamin is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- Benjamin has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Samuel.
- Benjamin's recorded meaning differs from Samuel's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ.
How each name got here
Benjamin
Popularity journey
First recorded1950
First recorded at #345 among boys in Norway in 1950 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1970–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1970–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #46 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Samuel
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #339 among boys in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1967–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1998 (recorded 1967–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys