Brent vs Samuel
Brent 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 Zealand · Boys
In 1987, Brent was ranked #97 and Samuel #7 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 1992, Brent was ranked #92 and Samuel #15 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2000, Brent was ranked #244 and Samuel #35 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Brent was ranked #3684 and Samuel #66 among boys in England and Wales.
Brent and Samuel over time
Brent and Samuel appear together in 3 published lists, across 59 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Brent 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.
Brent reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Samuel 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.
- One took the other's place near the top
In New Zealand · Boys, Samuel moved into the top 50 at #33 in 1977 as Brent fell out of it to #53, having been #37 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 1977, Samuel moved ahead of Brent in New Zealand · Boys — #37 and #48 the year before became #53 and #33.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys25 shared years, 1996–2025
Brent held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 25.
Highest recorded here: Brent #571 in 1998, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Brent #3684, Samuel #66.
New Zealand · Boys18 shared years, 1967–1987
Brent held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Samuel in 11.
Highest recorded here: Brent #22 in 1968, Samuel #7 in 1986.
The order changed in 1977: Samuel moved ahead. In 1976 they stood at #37 and #48; by 1977 that had become #53 and #33.
Most recent shared year, 1987: Brent #97, Samuel #7.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys16 shared years, 1974–1992
Brent held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 16.
Highest recorded here: Brent #72 in 1983, Samuel #13 in 1991.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 1992: Brent #92, Samuel #15.
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 | Brent | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ | |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #3684 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Samuel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel); Brent does not have one recorded yet.
- Brent has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Samuel.
- A meaning is recorded for Samuel; Brent doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, NZ.
How each name got here
Brent
Popularity journey
First recorded1954
First recorded at #67 among boys in New Zealand in 1954 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1987
Highest recorded position: #22 among boys in New Zealand, in 1968 (recorded 1954–1987).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #3684 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #66 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys