Namewise

Charlie vs Samuel

Charlie 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.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys

    In 2024, Charlie was ranked #8 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.

  • New Zealand · Boys

    In 2023, Charlie was ranked #9 and Samuel #50 among boys in New Zealand.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys

    In 2025, Charlie was ranked #12 and Samuel #38 among boys in New South Wales, Australia.

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys

    In 2025, Charlie was ranked #13 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.

  • Scotland · Boys

    In 2024, Charlie was ranked #19 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.

  • England and Wales · Boys

    In 2025, Charlie was ranked #22 and Samuel #66 among boys in England and Wales.

  • Norway · Boys

    In 2025, Charlie was ranked #211 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.

Charlie and Samuel over time

Charlie and Samuel appear together in 6 published lists, across 164 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.

The order between them changed and held in 5 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.

Samuel reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 5 of those lists, Charlie in 1. 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 2007, Charlie moved ahead of Samuel in England and Wales · Boys — #10 and #8 the year before became #7 and #11.

  • Closest over the longest run

    Across 30 shared years in England and Wales · Boys, Charlie and Samuel averaged 21.8 places apart, ending at #22 and #66.

  • Mirrored each other

    Over 28 shared years in Northern Ireland · Boys, Charlie rose about as far as Samuel fell — from #160 and #39 in 1997 to #8 and #64 in 2024.

  • Longest-running competitions

    Charlie and Samuel were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #22 and #66.

  • Peaked in the same years

    Both reached their highest recorded position in Norway · Boys within 2 years — Charlie #189 in 2017, Samuel #44 in 2019.

List by list

  • Republic of Ireland · Boys33 shared years, 1983–2025

    Charlie held the stronger position in 18 of those years, Samuel in 15.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #5 in 2022, Samuel #33 in 2013.

    The order changed in 2008: Charlie moved ahead. In 2007 they stood at #36 and #35; by 2008 that had become #29 and #39.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #13, Samuel #76.

  • England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025

    Charlie held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Samuel in 11.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #4 in 2012, Samuel #6 in 2004.

    The order changed in 2007: Charlie moved ahead. In 2006 they stood at #10 and #8; by 2007 that had become #7 and #11.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #22, Samuel #66.

  • Northern Ireland · Boys28 shared years, 1997–2024

    Charlie held the stronger position in 19 of those years, Samuel in 9.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #3 in 2013, Samuel #25 in 2005.

    The order changed in 2006: Charlie moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #28 and #25; by 2006 that had become #20 and #36.

    Most recent shared year, 2024: Charlie #8, Samuel #64.

  • New South Wales, Australia · Boys26 shared years, 2000–2025

    Charlie held the stronger position in 8 of those years, Samuel in 18.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #8 in 2024, Samuel #10 in 2003.

    The order changed in 2018: Charlie moved ahead. In 2017 they stood at #20 and #17; by 2018 that had become #22 and #30.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #12, Samuel #38.

  • Norway · Boys26 shared years, 1990–2025

    Charlie held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 26.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #189 in 2017, Samuel #44 in 2019.

    The order between them never changed and held in this list.

    Most recent shared year, 2025: Charlie #211, Samuel #75.

  • New Zealand · Boys21 shared years, 2003–2023

    Charlie held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Samuel in 12.

    Highest recorded here: Charlie #6 in 2021, Samuel #3 in 2005.

    The order changed in 2015: Charlie moved ahead. In 2014 they stood at #15 and #14; by 2015 that had become #8 and #16.

    Most recent shared year, 2023: Charlie #9, Samuel #50.

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.

Where to go next

Comparisons that share a name, a rule or a published list with this one. Each is an existing comparison page with its own evidence — nothing here says these pairs are alike.

Other comparisons involving Charlie

Pairs where Charlie shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other comparisons involving Samuel

Pairs where Samuel shares a published list with another name, each measured inside one registrar's own list.

Other pairs with the same kind of relationship

Pairs that qualify under the same rule as this one — one moved ahead of the other.

All one moved ahead of the other→

Other pairs from England and Wales lists

Pairs measured inside England and Wales's own published lists, where this pair's strongest relationship is also recorded. Positions in these lists are not comparable with another registrar's.

England and Wales overview→

Other pairs ranked together in the 2020s

Pairs both ranked in the same published list at some point between 2020 and 2029.

The 2020s across all registrars→

Side by side

Side-by-side comparison of Charlie, Samuel
FieldCharlieSamuel
Record typeEditorially researched profileEditorially researched profile
Gender usagemalemale
MeaningA diminutive of Charles, ultimately interpreted as 'man' or, by an alternative theory, 'army'.Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised.
OriginEnglish, via Germanic KarlBiblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel
Pronunciation/ˈtʃɑːli//ˈsæmjuːəl/
Syllables22
Common variants / nicknamesNot yet recordedNot yet recorded
Recorded regional usageAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZAU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ
Most recent popularity observationNew South Wales, Australia · Boys #12 (2025)New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025)
Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score)90/10090/100
Spelling simplicity (demonstration score)82/10088/100
International familiarity (demonstration score)100/100100/100
Data Confidencemediummedium

What the data shows

  • Charlie is recorded with a English, via Germanic Karl origin, while Samuel is recorded with a Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel origin.
  • Charlie and Samuel both have 2 syllables.
  • Charlie'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

Charlie

Popularity journey

  1. First recorded1983

    First recorded at #282 among boys in Republic of Ireland in 1983 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.

    Republic of Ireland · Boys

  2. Highest recorded1997–2024

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2013 (recorded 1997–2024).

    Northern Ireland · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #747 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Girls

Samuel

Popularity journey

  1. 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

  2. Highest recorded1967–2023

    Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1998 (recorded 1967–2023).

    New Zealand · Boys

  3. Most recent2025

    Most recently recorded at #66 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.

    England and Wales · Boys