Cohen vs Sam
Cohen 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.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Cohen was ranked #509 and Sam #50 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Cohen was ranked #290 and Sam #127 among boys in Scotland.
Northern Ireland · Boys
In 2024, Cohen was ranked #164 and Sam #187 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Cohen was ranked #418 and Sam #334 among boys in England and Wales.
Cohen and Sam over time
Cohen and Sam appear together in 3 published lists, across 59 years of shared records. Sam held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Cohen 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.
Sam reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, and Cohen 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 moved ahead of the other
In 2024, Cohen moved ahead of Sam in Northern Ireland · Boys — #145 and #145 the year before became #164 and #187.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Cohen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sam in 29.
Highest recorded here: Cohen #295 in 2016, Sam #47 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cohen #418, Sam #334.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2005–2024
Cohen held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Sam in 17.
Highest recorded here: Cohen #96 in 2018, Sam #44 in 2005.
The order changed in 2024: Cohen moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #145 and #145; by 2024 that had become #164 and #187.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Cohen #164, Sam #187.
Republic of Ireland · Boys10 shared years, 2007–2025
Cohen held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Sam in 10.
Highest recorded here: Cohen #509 in 2025, Sam #38 in 2015.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Cohen #509, Sam #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.
Side by side
| Field | Cohen | 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, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #509 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #50 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Cohen has 2 syllables, compared with 1 for Sam.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Cohen
Popularity journey
First recorded1996
First recorded at #1765 among boys in England and Wales in 1996 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
England and Wales · Boys
Highest recorded2005–2024
Highest recorded position: #96 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2018 (recorded 2005–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #509 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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