Caleb vs Samson
Caleb 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2015, Caleb was ranked #25 and Samson #342 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Caleb was ranked #42 and Samson #619 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Caleb was ranked #82 and Samson #798 among boys in England and Wales.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Caleb was ranked #91 and Samson #785 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Caleb and Samson over time
Caleb and Samson appear together in 2 published lists, across 44 years of shared records. Caleb held the stronger position in more years in 2 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 2 of those lists, and Caleb 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.
- Longest-running competitions
Caleb and Samson were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #82 and #798.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Caleb held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Samson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Caleb #72 in 2023, Samson #452 in 2016.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Caleb #82, Samson #798.
Republic of Ireland · Boys14 shared years, 1999–2024
Caleb held the stronger position in 14 of those years, Samson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Caleb #91 in 2024, Samson #347 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Caleb #91, 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 | Caleb | 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Boys #82 (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) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Caleb and Samson both have 2 syllables.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Caleb
Popularity journey
First recorded1982
First recorded at #98 among boys in New Zealand in 1982 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1982–2023
Highest recorded position: #12 among boys in New Zealand, in 1999 (recorded 1982–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #82 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · 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 #798 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys