Craig vs Sami
Craig and Samicompared 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.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Craig was ranked #2263 and Sami #297 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Craig was ranked #478 and Sami #432 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2023, Craig was ranked #516 and Sami #472 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Craig and Sami over time
Craig and Sami appear together in 2 published lists, across 49 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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 Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Craig #46 in 1997, Sami #334 in 1995.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Craig held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Sami in 20.
Highest recorded here: Craig #81 in 1996, Sami #239 in 2005.
The order changed in 2005: Sami moved ahead. In 2004 they stood at #222 and #246; by 2005 that had become #243 and #239.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Craig #2263, Sami #297.
Republic of Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 1995–2023
Craig held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Sami in 2.
Highest recorded here: Craig #46 in 1997, Sami #334 in 1995.
The order changed in 2022: Sami moved ahead. In 2021 they stood at #637 and #741; by 2022 that had become #509 and #429.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Craig #516, Sami #472.
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 | Craig | Sami |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | From the Scottish surname derived from Gaelic 'creag', meaning 'crag, rocks, outcrop' — originally denoting someone who lived near a crag. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Scottish Gaelic (surname origin) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈkɹeɪɡ/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 1 | 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-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #478 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Boys #829 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 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
- Craig has a recorded origin (Scottish Gaelic (surname origin)); Sami does not have one recorded yet.
- Craig has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Sami.
- A meaning is recorded for Craig; Sami doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
Craig
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #79 among boys in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys
Highest recorded1954–1992
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in New Zealand, in 1971 (recorded 1954–1992).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #2263 among boys in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Boys
Sami
Popularity journey
First recorded1962
First recorded at #506 among boys in Norway in 1962 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1996–2024
Highest recorded position: #239 among boys in England and Wales, in 2005 (recorded 1996–2024).
England and Wales · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #829 among boys in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Boys