Callum vs Samuel
Callum 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 2009, Callum was ranked #78 and Samuel #6 among boys in New Zealand.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
In 2012, Callum was ranked #99 and Samuel #19 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Callum was ranked #49 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Callum was ranked #54 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Callum was ranked #248 and Samuel #60 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Callum was ranked #62 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Callum and Samuel over time
Callum and Samuel appear together in 5 published lists, across 138 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Callum in 1.
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.
Callum reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 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 took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Boys, Callum moved into the top 50 at #43 in 2017 as Samuel fell out of it to #52, having been #38 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2017, Callum moved ahead of Samuel in Republic of Ireland · Boys — #48 and #38 the year before became #43 and #52.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Callum and Samuel changed places 10 times in Northern Ireland · Boys between 1997 and 2024, ending at #54 and #64.
- Closest over the longest run
Across 29 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Callum and Samuel averaged 53.7 places apart, ending at #248 and #60.
- Longest-running competitions
Callum and Samuel were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Boys for 36 years, from 1989 to 2025, ending at #49 and #76.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in New Zealand · Boys within 2 years — Callum #27 in 2000, Samuel #3 in 1998.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Boys36 shared years, 1989–2025
Callum held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Samuel in 18.
Highest recorded here: Callum #22 in 2006, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order changed in 2017: Callum moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #48 and #38; by 2017 that had become #43 and #52.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Callum #49, Samuel #76.
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Callum held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 29.
Highest recorded here: Callum #8 in 1998, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Callum #248, Samuel #60.
Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024
Callum held the stronger position in 21 of those years, Samuel in 7.
Highest recorded here: Callum #8 in 2006, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Callum #54, Samuel #64.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys23 shared years, 1990–2012
Callum held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 23.
Highest recorded here: Callum #51 in 1998, Samuel #10 in 2003.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2012: Callum #99, Samuel #19.
New Zealand · Boys22 shared years, 1988–2009
Callum held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 22.
Highest recorded here: Callum #27 in 2000, Samuel #3 in 1998.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2009: Callum #78, Samuel #6.
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 | Callum | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Traditionally associated with 'dove', via its connection to Saint Columba. | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic (Anglicised form of Calum), from Latin columba | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkæləm/ | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #49 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Callum is recorded with a Scottish Gaelic (Anglicised form of Calum), from Latin columba origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
- Callum and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
- Callum'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, NZ.
How each name got here
Callum
Popularity journey
First recorded1988
First recorded at #80 among boys in New Zealand in 1988 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #8 among boys in England and Wales, in 1998 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #49 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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