Campbell vs Sam
Campbell 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.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2005, Campbell was ranked #307 and Sam #44 among boys in Northern Ireland.
New Zealand · Boys
In 2002, Campbell was ranked #91 and Sam #73 among boys in New Zealand.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Campbell was ranked #218 and Sam #127 among boys in Scotland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Campbell was ranked #3254 and Sam #334 among boys in England and Wales.
Campbell and Sam over time
Campbell and Sam appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Sam held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Campbell in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
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 · Boys within 2 years — Campbell #633 in 1996, Sam #47 in 1996.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Campbell held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sam in 29.
Highest recorded here: Campbell #633 in 1996, Sam #47 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Campbell #3254, Sam #334.
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 | Campbell | Sam |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | 1 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #218 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #50 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 76/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Campbell has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Sam.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, NZ.
How each name got here
Campbell
Popularity journey
First recorded1993
First recorded at #96 among boys in New Zealand in 1993 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New Zealand · Boys
Highest recorded1993–2002
Highest recorded position: #78 among boys in New Zealand, in 1999 (recorded 1993–2002).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #3254 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
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