Craig vs Samson
Craig and Samsoncompared 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 2015, Craig was ranked #415 and Samson #342 among boys in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Craig was ranked #478 and Samson #619 among boys in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2019, Craig was ranked #646 and Samson #764 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2024, Craig was ranked #2263 and Samson #651 among boys in England and Wales.
Craig and Samson over time
Craig and Samson appear together in 2 published lists, across 42 years of shared records. Craig held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Samson 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.
Craig reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Samson 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.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Boys within 2 years — Craig #40 in 2001, Samson #347 in 2001.
List by list
England and Wales · Boys29 shared years, 1996–2024
Craig held the stronger position in 16 of those years, Samson in 13.
Highest recorded here: Craig #81 in 1996, Samson #452 in 2016.
The order changed in 2013: Samson moved ahead. In 2012 they stood at #577 and #592; by 2013 that had become #771 and #475.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Craig #2263, Samson #651.
Republic of Ireland · Boys13 shared years, 1999–2019
Craig held the stronger position in 13 of those years, Samson in 0.
Highest recorded here: Craig #40 in 2001, Samson #347 in 2001.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2019: Craig #646, Samson #764.
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 | Samson |
|---|---|---|
| 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-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Boys #478 (2024) | Norway · Boys #439 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 88/100 |
| 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)); Samson does not have one recorded yet.
- Craig has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Samson.
- A meaning is recorded for Craig; Samson doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, 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
Samson
Popularity journey
First recorded1969
First recorded at #541 among boys in Norway in 1969 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #439 among boys in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Boys