Dan vs Samuel
Dan 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, Dan was ranked #278 and Samuel #64 among boys in Northern Ireland.
England and Wales · Boys
In 2025, Dan was ranked #1124 and Samuel #66 among boys in England and Wales.
Scotland · Boys
In 2024, Dan was ranked #727 and Samuel #69 among boys in Scotland.
Norway · Boys
In 2025, Dan was ranked #456 and Samuel #75 among boys in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Boys
In 2025, Dan was ranked #286 and Samuel #76 among boys in Republic of Ireland.
Dan and Samuel over time
Dan and Samuel appear together in 4 published lists, across 156 years of shared records. Samuel held the stronger position in more years in 3 of them, Dan in 1.
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.
Dan reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 3 of those lists, Samuel 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 1994, Samuel moved ahead of Dan in Norway · Boys — #169 and #218 the year before became #199 and #165.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Dan and Samuel changed places 5 times in Norway · Boys between 1946 and 2025, ending at #456 and #75.
- Longest-running competitions
Dan and Samuel were both ranked in England and Wales · Boys for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #1124 and #66.
List by list
Norway · Boys68 shared years, 1946–2025
Dan held the stronger position in 39 of those years, Samuel in 29.
Highest recorded here: Dan #75 in 1987, Samuel #44 in 2019.
The order changed in 1994: Samuel moved ahead. In 1993 they stood at #169 and #218; by 1994 that had become #199 and #165.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dan #456, Samuel #75.
Republic of Ireland · Boys38 shared years, 1974–2025
Dan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 38.
Highest recorded here: Dan #205 in 2005, Samuel #33 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dan #286, Samuel #76.
England and Wales · Boys30 shared years, 1996–2025
Dan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 30.
Highest recorded here: Dan #476 in 1997, Samuel #6 in 2004.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Dan #1124, Samuel #66.
Northern Ireland · Boys20 shared years, 2001–2024
Dan held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Samuel in 20.
Highest recorded here: Dan #200 in 2023, Samuel #25 in 2005.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Dan #278, Samuel #64.
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 | Dan | Samuel |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | male | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Traditionally rendered as 'name of God', though also popularly interpreted as 'God has heard' — sources differ on which root is emphasised. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈsæmjuːəl/ |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Boys #286 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #38 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Samuel has a recorded origin (Biblical Hebrew, via Greek Samouel); Dan does not have one recorded yet.
- Dan has 1 syllable, compared with 2 for Samuel.
- A meaning is recorded for Samuel; Dan doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Dan
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #326 among boys in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Boys
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #75 among boys in Norway, in 1987 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #4867 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Samuel
Popularity journey
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
Highest recorded1967–2023
Highest recorded position: #3 among boys in New Zealand, in 1998 (recorded 1967–2023).
New Zealand · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #66 among boys in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Boys